Rise Of Phantias
by LucidRainDrops
Summary: After some of the renegades were massacred, Yuan has no-one else to turn to but the person they came for. He forces her into helping him get rid of the one responsible, but doesn't suspect he'll retain emotions.
1. Chapter 1

As he stared blankly through the doorway, thoughts that he might have underestimated the difficulty of the task emerged. Yuan didn't give a sigh, but a slight irritation roused at his chest, watching her flip through the pages casually. His eyebrow twitched, teeth clenching a bit.

"How and why does she take this so lightly...." he muttered to himself.

XXXXX

"I appreciate your letting me use this library." Raine thanked Yuan with a slight smile. She brushed off her coat as she stood, to face the man standing behind her. "... but I have to ask, is there something bothering you about my reading these?" she questioned.

Yuan said nothing at first, "Not particularly, but if you don't mind refreshing me on something." he trailed, Raine hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the books at the large round table down to her right.

"Yes?"

"Your name IS Raine Sage, correct?"

"Yes, it is." Raine replied as if that should be more than completely obvious.

"Your mother was named..." he turned from her and started to circle her with slow steps, Raine watched him suspiciously, staring forwad even when he was behind her, "Virginia, am I right?"

"....Allright," Raine said, "it is, but remind me again how this is--"

"So you're the one they were looking for the other day." he cut her off with a cold tone, sending a short wave of shivers up her spine.

The large library room went silent. And the professor was a little desturbed by this sudden statement.

"Excuse me?" Raine gave Yuan a blank look, trying to figure out what he was talking about, "I'd like you to evaluate who you mean by 'they', if you would." she turned to him and made a small wave of her hand for him to continue.

"Then I'm guessing that you haven't confronted these people already." he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Then, his eyes flashed over towards the door for a split moment.

"Do you mind explaining this, Yuan?" Raine kept her hands firmly at her sides as she waited for a reply. "To whom are you reffering--Mmph..!" she protested, muffled by Yuan's hand over her mouth.

"Shh..." he whispered, motioning to the door where footsteps could now be heard. Raine stopped struggling, noticing the sounds as well. Shadows were cast before the doorframe and dissapeared.

"There hasn't been anyone here since those people last came looking for you. We have to be careful, I'll explain exactly what happened once we get to a safe distance." he said in her ear quietly, still keeping the woman in a secure hold. "Now, hold on to me, do NOT let go," he ordered firmly, Raine didn't even notice that he had revealed his large silvery blue wings until now. She slipped her arms around his neck as he picked them both off of the ground, keeping a hand over her mouth knowing she would squeal in surprise--which she did-- when he picked her up bridal style and proceeded to ascend into midair towards a hanging platform under a window. Raine knew better than to say something when someone as powerful as a former cruxis angel wasn't even willing to face an enemy. But... she just had to know.

"Don't you want to fight them?" She quirked an eyebrow, eying the seraph. "why are we running?"

"Technically, we're flying." he said, landing on the platform and chanting something quietly that caused the window to open automatically. "But this case is different, and I'm not exactly prepared to face this particular ememy just yet." he told her with a strong hint of sarcasm.

Raine glared, "I hope you're planning to explain ALL of this, Yuan."

"Oh I will. Because you're going to be the one to get rid of them." he said, stepping from the platform into the air and rising towards the window. They flew from the window and were now in the center of a deep blue night sky, skattered with shards of light, soaring acrossed it quietly and unseen.

XXXXX

"And once I got back, everyone was dead." he said coldly, shooting fire from his hands into the pit. He looked over at the half-elven woman acrossed from him. "They were...."

"How dead." Raine asked flatly, meeting Yuan's empty gaze with round eyes. The snow around her seemed to blend perfectly with the silvery strands of her beautifly flowing hair. He couldn't help but notice it, the breath-taking sight of her in the midst of this. He never noticed this before, the perfect frame of white on flustered looking cheeks.

"....They were..." he hesitated. "Do you really want me to describe this to you?" he questioned, sitting there, still as night and watching the professor who leaned forward towards the fire and rubber her hands together as she nodded.

"Yes, I believe I told you I wanted to know ALL of what had happened." she breathed into her enclosed hands, rubbing them together again.

"..." Yuan rose as he spoke "I.... everyone was ripped apart. As I entered the base, every hallway was more than filled with blood. It was sickening." he said. "... Bodies were in half, they were in literal pieces." he told her coldly, stopping his stride behind her and dropping his cape over her shoulders. "That...." he sat cross-legged beside her and shot a little more fire into the pit. "is why I'm uncertain of the enemy.

The professor felt chills from every angle, partially from the cold and partially from what he had just said. "Y...you do have security cameras, right?" she asked quietly.

"...They were all destroyed. I think I may need a little more backup next time." he said. "...they did leave one thing, though." he turned to her and looked to his cloak. "There's a note in the inner pocket. You should read it, see what you get out of it."

"Allright." Raine agreed, reaching in and feeling for a pocket, she found it and felt, at the rim of it, the edge of a piece of firm paper. She pulled out a folded piece of paper and unfolded it in front of her. She read it to herself.

"We are aware of your holding the Sage Child in these facilities at one point in time. I will proceed with decapitating and desposing of the members of your staff as an example of the strength of Phantias. We request that you simply give her up, if you are caught with the child we will despose of you as well. We will take her by force if nessesary, and by any means. Good day."

A streak of confusion ran through her, Raine looked up at Yuan who still shot little sparks of flames into the fire in front of them blankly.

"But Yuan, if you're caught with me by these people, then..."

"We can't let them get ahold of you for whatever reason they want, but if it means risking my life for revenge, so be it." he stated.

Raine's lips were pressed firmly together, she sighed and slipped the letter back into his pocket.

"And besides... I'm not that concerned for myself as I am for you and your comrads."

XXXXX 


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay, first and only review so far (hey it's been like... one day, what should I expect?), thanks, Sychotic! I hope you keep reading.**

XXXXX

"You're… concerned for me?" Raine quirked an eyebrow and watched him from the corner of her eyes while keeping her head facing forward. "May I ask why?" she breathed into her enclosed hands again.

"Hm…" he replied blankly. "I suppose you could call it a bad feeling I'm having."

"That's a logical reaction to something like that." she agreed. "One man, I take it, part of a larger organization has slaughtered all of your men single-handedly and in _that_ manner…" she trailed.

"I'm not exactly concerned for them in particular… though there is this one fact that I find rather bothersome." he sighed, keeping his eyes glued on the fire. "Not one man was left… he killed _all_ of them. Even discharged my defense systems. Nothing but a note, I didn't need an apology, I want people to work for me." he growled. "I want to kill him. Whoever it is."

"So you're not concerned for _them_, just the lack of people serving you…" Raine said, giving him a look lacking surprise. "How unsurprisingly heartless of you."

"I…" He turned to her, trying to decode her expression. "You don't have a problem with that?" he asked quietly.

"I'll just simply admit I half expected you to say that." Raine admitted, shrugging and turning from him. She rested her forearms on the ground and moved a little closer to the pit. "So am I safe to assume that we're setting up camp here?" she asked flatly.

"You seem a little cold, being so close to the temple of Ice." Yuan commented, "But I believe that if we're in a populated area those around us may be likely to be targeted because of a certain someone."

"…You say it as if I'm intentionally causing this for you."

"True." he admitted, "I suppose _I_ can't exactly punish you for existing, can I? But then again, just because I don't doesn't mean that everyone else effected won't."

"I can understand that." Raine sighed. "…But are you certain we can't consider going to Sylverant?" she whispered. "It would be more wise to join up with the others would it not?"

"Our reihards were stolen and there seems to be some sort of damage to the portal at the base somehow. I'm not sure how, but there is."

"…" Raine couldn't help but letting an irritated sigh escape her lips. "And if I simply end up freezing to death…" she asked, then thinking to herself, I knew I shouldn't have spent so much time away from Sylverant…. I should have left here when I had the chance… "Or maybe you could fly us somewhere _warmer_…"

"I suppose." Yuan gave the sky a thoughtful stare, "If you like being knocked out of the air by hail and into the _**ocean**_… there are two of us after all."

Raine gave him a look of resentment. Muttering obscene words in the Elfin language.

A small smile tugged at his lips, he allowed himself a light chuckle. Watching the flakes land against the thin but curvaceous frame that stood on it's side against the almond-colored light of the fire. He was almost completely oblivious to why he was so entranced with the sight of her. But shook off the feeling, quickly averting his eyes when they met hers.

"I suppose _I'll _have to keep watch then." he rose again and put his hands in front of him, spewing sparks of flame into the fire pit from his palms.

Raine looked up at him with a blink, he was so tall, his long, turquoise hair fell down his back between long shoulders in a low ponytail. He was standing somewhat defiantly with crossed arms, but with a kind of deepness in his eyes, he had gone through so much, but he acted differently than she would have expected.

Fascinating. She thought with a sort of sparkle in her eyes.

By the time Yuan had actually glanced down, he had just caught the ghost of a smile playing on her lips softly_. _her eyes closed..._  
_

XXXXX

"Wake up." Was the only thing Raine heard as warning before being pulled swiftly to her feet in one quick motion. She quickly regained balance and turned to the one responsible.

The professor yawned a bit and rubbed her eyes, she took note of the frost that had built up on her sleeves and the ever-so numerous flakes of snow on her pants. Then the warm cloak around her shoulders, which she touched the edge of lightly and pulled more tightly over herself.

"...Yuan?"

"I see a suspicious figure ahead. I don't think he's seen me yet, and I've never seen him before, but I don't exactly feel you're equipped for battle just yet. So lets briefly stop by Meltokio before returning to this area, agreed?" he told her smoothly.

"..." Raine hesitated, "Why does it seem as though you're making all of the decisions here?" she asked. "You do know that I'm--"

"A big girl?" he smirked. "Well I'm a tad bit bigger." Provoking a slight blush in her, Raine glared and clenched her fists.

"Don't mock me." she threatened, crossing her arms.

"Well in any case I'm simply suggesting the most logical solution considering our current situation." He said, and started off in one direction.

"Wait... I don't see a..." Raine trailed, suddenly reminding herself of his angelic senses, the man must have been miles away. "Ah..."

"I suppose I should explain him to you." he said. "He's wearing a cloak over bare flesh except for the black pants that drop passed even his feet which I think are also bare." he explained, Yuan stopped walking and took another look at him.

"That's interesting for a supposed human to be wearing so little here." Raine hummed. "But I'm guessing that that's not the focus of your attention for you to want to retreat again."

"...No."

"What is it?"

"The blood on him, I can see stained into his pants from here. The look in his eyes as he stares towards us, as if he can see me as well as I can see him... I doubt it, but like he has a feeling. And not to mention the interesting crest that's holding together his cloak at his chest."

"What does it look like?" Raine breathed, feeling incredibly fascinated by the range of his vision, what kind of details could he pick up? How far exactly could he see? Could he choose a particular distance to see at once? How much of the details closer to him did he pay attention to? Was the sound of her breathing loud? Could he hear her heartbeat from there?

"..." Yuan gave her a stare with dark blue eyes, he noticed the interest she displayed, but more-so in what she seen in him at the moment. "Well from here It looks like a crossing of wings with a sword stabbed through them both."

Glancing at the softly parted lips that spoke not, and back up at the eyes that examined his.

"Your eyes, the motion of them when you look at something so far...." Raine narrowed her eyes and whispered, "Do you think you could do it again?" she put a hand on her chin.

"..." Yuan didn't reply, but instead stepped forward and took her by the arm so they could move on. "The snow's cleared and it's day, so we can fly now."

XXXXX

"Stay close. I don't want any attention being drawn to us." Yuan mumbled to her as they maneuvered through a crowd that was a little thicker than usual. They had attained two cloaks with hoods that completely covered their faces and were now sneaking around silently. It was even a little crowded with people when they retreated into the poor area of Meltokio.

"Do you suppose you have any reihards in the area...?"

"I do." he said.

"I see, then I'm guessing that's where we're headed."

"Indeed. Stay low," he suddenly whispered to her.

"What now?"

"Hm..." Yuan pulled them both over between two houses, he motioned for her to get more out of sight with him. "There, someone wearing the same type of outfit as that man from earlier. They're everywhere...." he muttered irritably.

"Ah... so it's as I suspected." Raine commented, sinking into the shadows with Yuan, she looked into the direction where Yuan watched. She seen the man whom he was indicating and looked like what he had described earlier. "There are more of them... I wonder why they would need someone like me. It's interesting that they're just now appearing."

"...This is not something for you to just study single-handedly, Raine." Yuan hissed. "I'm uncertain of the enemy's power."

Raine blinked, that was the first time that he actually had addressed her wither her name directly, it was.... how to describe it...

"We can't jump into battle either, with our current lack of information regarding their abilities." Raine spoke, allowing herself to breathe again, inching further back.

"..." Yuan seemed to notice, shifting a bit due to the sudden lack of space they were provided in between the houses. Yet the sun seemed to be spreading towards them still.

"This seems a little cowardly, hiding like this."

"Considering what had happened to my men, I'd like to gather more information before jumping into battle."

They moved further back again, their legs were slightly tangled at this point.

"What better way to do that than first hand?"

"That's correct in some cases, but I've learned to never underestimate the enemy long ago. Do you think that they'll hesitate to harm you?"

"You're just scared." Raine looked up at him daringly.

"That's easier for you to say considering you're the one they want."

--Silence--

"...A-ahem...." Raine stiffened slightly but the new suggestive position of her legs against him. One was pressed between his inner thighs and the other leg was slightly raised and starting to wrap around his. "S-sorry." she swallowed. Yuan shifted and groaned a bit, trying to keep himself from just sprouting his wings and flying off without her, but he had to keep her with him...

To have something that they didn't but that they want. And not to mention his wings' light would give them away. But he was feeling rather flustered, he looked into her apologetic eyes, a little shaken, he tried to move again but caused Raine to be shoved further upwards by a slight, conveniently upward slope underneath her.

Yuan was starting to wish that people were better at building houses in straight lines.

"N-ahh--" Yuan cut himself off, his chin just over her shoulder now, he tried to maintain distance between them by placing his hands on either sides of her waist on the wall. His head dropped, he gave the 'fighting defeat' look.

They were so close together, Raine could feel his hot breath on her neck, it was as though he was breathing heavier, while it seemed like he wasn't at all before.

Yuan groped at the wall desperately for where the edge was almost within his reach, for some reason he was feeling on the somewhat helpless side in this position.

Raine's forehead was pressed into his firm chest when he slid them towards the end of the opening between the houses. She had a slow intake of air while putting one soft hand on his robust shoulders and another on the wall, snaking below his arms.

"Again, I-I'm..."

"Just be quiet..." Yuan whispered quickly, regaining hope when he finally got ahold of the edge of the wall, he pulled himself through and Raine right after him, they were still in the shadows of the back of the house when they were released from the tight hold.

"That was ah... close,"

"..." Yuan shot her a quick look.

"That man had almost seen us there I mean." she clarified.

Yuan gave an almost-nervous half-smile "ha..." he attempted to calm himself, slowly and silently breathing in with parted lips while running thin fingers through his cerulean strands of long hair. He appeared to be in a flustered state, taking cautionary steps from the platinum blond half-elf to his left.

**XXXXX**

**Tee hee... _ooh_ Yu-chan doesn't think he can control himself....**

**Review if you want. It sometimes makes me enthused to update.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yay… more peeps. So! lets get this party started.**

**XXXXX**

"Just eat quickly." Yuan sighed, he slid into the booth, across the table from her and watched Raine take the long spoon delicately in her hand.

"I'll get brain freeze." She argued simply, closing her eyes as she started using her lecturing tone. "And this was the only thing I could afford at the moment."

"I see." his eyes narrowed as he watched her. He rested his chin on his folded hands, propped up on the table by his elbows.

"This is the first thing I've eaten today." Raine told him sternly, "So don't ruin this." and with that dipped the spoon into the round, soft white mass in the hourglass-shaped cup.

"… And I'm expected to just sit here and watch you… ah…" he trailed, he couldn't find his voice, sighting the spoonful of ice-cream enter between her soft-looking lips. Yuan found himself staring, suddenly enraptured by the slow motion of her tongue over the wet, smooth, and hard surface of the utensil.

"…" His lips parted as he stared, glancing down from her mesmerizing eyes, to the second scoop of white that entered her mouth.

He blinked at himself, wondering why he was so… he found himself absently reaching forward and taking her chin in his hand, Raine stopped to look at Yuan questioningly.

He said nothing, wiping away a streak of stray white from her bottom lip.

"... I ah..." Yuan was finding himself in a rather uncomfortable position now, he glanced down at himself and coughed. "I'll just ...stand watch outside." he said quickly, standing and walking passes Raine, retreating from the shop with a slight reddish tint to his face.

Bright-eyed, Raine watched Yuan leave. "What an interestingly sudden change of thought." she said quietly, and turned to her ice-cream again, feeling slightly abandoned, alone there.

**XXXXX**

After Raine finished eating, she had walked alongside Yuan to the research lab. She kept giving the former seraph curious looks, he seemed to be having some sort of difficulty with something, his arms were crossed and he seemed to be trying to act as though Raine wasn't there, like he was refusing to acknowledge something about her.

"Hm..." the professor furrowed her eyebrows and leaned forward slightly to catch sight of his features. _Unreadable _She thought, she let her gaze fall, feeling disappointed. "Do you mind me asking what's wrong?" she finally asked, her arms folded behind her back.

"I'm fine." his lips were pressed together in a fine line.

_Wow_ he's hard to crack. Raine thought, quirking an eyebrow at him and sighing.

**XXXXX**

"_What?_" Yuan hissed, burning holes in their fear-struck faces. "You only had prepared _one_ regardless of the fact that I clearly specified at least three to be ready at all times?" his eyes were like daggers, stabbing repeatedly at the standby renegades that were there at the lab underground.

"B-but sir!" the first man tried to explain.

"No, it's useless now, get out of my sight, we'll have to make due with this." he growled irritably. Raine laughed a little nervously behind him.

"Is that really necessary?" she muttered, a bead of sweat casually at her temple.

"You two." Yuan shot cold, hard looks at two other female renegades, "Bring this outside, I'm sure that there's enough fuel to bring us to Sylverant and _or_ back, correct?"

"Yes sir!" The woman held an unfolded hand to the side of her forehead at an angle stiffly. The other girl did the same.

"W-we made sure!"

"It's your job, at least you do it right." he brushed off their efforts to impress him and turned back to Raine who flinched ever so slightly, she seemed amused, though, a small smile at her lips. "...Leave. Now." he demanded, pointing them out of the room, they took the backup reihard that they had stashed here earlier and brought it upstairs.

"I apologize for my men," Yuan said.

"Of course." Raine smiled, "Now, We're going to be able to pass through the gate, right?"

"Yes, it has a regenerative system so whatever damage done to it should have been repaired by now."

"I see... Shall we go?" Raine motioned to the stairs.

"Indeed." His gaze was unmoving, concrete, he examined her, still. "...Let's get going."

**XXXXX**

**~Dirk's House~**

"Professor!" A cheerful voice greeted the woman as she entered the room. "How nice to see you-- Oh!" Colette's eyes widened, "Yuan! How are you! What are you guys doing together-- hey professor I thought that you were studying a really old library-- oh wait Yuan has one, oh!" Colette giggled, "Oh, I should have known that!" she grinned.

"Colette? Who's---Oh! Professor!" Lloyd stepped down from the stairs that lead to his room.

"Raine!" With Genis following after, Genis ran to her side and hugged her.

"I'm glad to see you too, Genis." she patted his head with a small smile. "...Lloyd, I've actually come to inform you of something." she said, Genis pulled away and went to Lloyd's side to listen to the conversation.

"Well, what is it, Professor?" He asked.

"We have a problem.

xxxxx

After about three minutes of Raine explaining...

xxxxx

"WHAT?!" Genis's mouth hung open in disbelief, "How could one person do that?!" his eye twitched.

"I'm uncertain, the letter seemed to be from a single person, who indicated that he was the only one in the base at the time... but that's not exactly determined yet, we're having suspicions of these people that we're starting to see around." she said. "sort of like... a cult."

"Exactly, that's why we need us all to stay in a group so no-one is taken for ransom or killed in their _sleep_." Yuan said, with an obvious streak of spite in his tone.

"Well, we still have our reihards, and I think we can give your reihard some fuel somewhere, professor." Lloyd said. "And we're going to have to get everyone else." he started thinking, planning carefully. "... They should, actually, be in Mizuho right now." he said with a sweatdrop. "But they might be in Luin..." he grinned sheepishly.

"So we're splitting up then." Genis put a hand on his chin, "I'm with Lloyd."

"I'm with Genis!" Colette chirped, bouncing on her heels.

"I suppose that means that you three are going off without adult supervision..." Raine crossed her arms and gave them a stern look. "Be careful. Especially you, Genis. Those people had said _Sage,_ and being my sibling that could put you at risk." she said. "And also, if they're not in Mizuho I want you all to stay in the area, am I clear?"

"Yes Raine." Genis agreed. "I-I will."

"But be careful."

"Well, let's hurry up and leave then." Lloyd nodded, running at the front door hastily. The other two followed him.

"We should get moving too." Yuan said to Raine, "It's amazing how we just got through being in a group before we decide to part ways, don't you think?"

"We have to find them as quickly as possible." she said, glaring at him. "....You should know by now, Lloyd is strong. I wouldn't be very surprised if he ended up catching one of the men."

"True." Yuan sighed, before following the platinum blond out. Yuan nodded in actual agreement, admitting to his previous defeat. He mentally shivered a bit at the thought, He was like a hurricane.... I'm not surprised he defeated Mithos... Yuan thought. He walked slowly behind her.

"Mph! Yu-" Raine found herself muffled again, suddenly pulled back by him.

"I see him there." Yuan whispered to Raine behind the door "He's about to present himself I imagine. Are you ready?"

".... Where?"

"Among those trees afar there."

"....I understand, I believe I'm capable of fending for myself, thank-you for your concern." her smile seemed genuine but it had a hint of musing for his efforts.

"Let's go, now." Yuan released her arm and lead the way, forward towards the enemy.

Raine walked calmly behind him.

xxxxx

The footsteps they took seemed to be so slow, it took forever to reach the boundary of trees before the forest at which the man stood.

"You've come." a soft, light-hearted sounding voice came from him. "At long last I can meet you." he stepped forward at them with an outstretched hand. He stared forward with a red-tinted gaze, lit softly by the forest. His hair was in orderly streaks of blond just above his eyes, over his eyebrows. His hood of black remained in place.

"I..." Raine hesitated, glancing at Yuan.

The man's gaze suddenly hardened, shooting Yuan a look of spite.

"I thought I told you that I would kill you, swine."

"Oh really?" Yuan raised an eyebrow, seeming amused, "I would love to see you try that, then."

Softening eyes turned to Raine, "Please step aside, love." he demanded simply.

Feeling a trickle of desire to obey him run through her, she quickly shook her head. "N-no!"

Yuan gave Raine a look, intrigued by her sudden unsure tone of voice. "Raine?" His solid voice snapped her out of it.

"Ah..." Raine held her head, "Oh, I'm sorry I don't know what came over me."

"I won't _fight_ you, darling." The man tried to explain calmly.

"You fight us both, you're not going to target anyone one at a time." she stood against his words.

"... Very well." he whispered, but somehow his voice reached their ears from his distance.

Yuan had his two-sided blade-axe in hand. He twisted and twirled it forward in one swing and started chanting.

"RAY!" Raine held her staff forward at him, from it burst an explosion of light that shot straight up, which in turn split into millions of shards that bulleted back down at him, leaving brightly lit trails behind them.

"Indignation!" Yuan stepped forward with force, holding his blade just above eye level and a giant dome of pulsing violet light opened around the man, what looked like blue electrical currents surged through it, bouncing off of the boundaries. The man looked up with a slowly spreading smile.

"Ah! So this is it!" he laughed with supposed pleasure, as the blue waves sparked at him, dancing on his bare chest.

The ray of light suddenly exploded into white light, pulsing outwards with a loud before shimmering into the air, it dissapeared as Raine charged forward and made a blunt but precise and swift swing of her staff. The man jumped back and smiled charmingly, he dissapeared and reappeared behind her.

Upside-down through the air now, he seemed to be floating, Yuan held his weapon above him before coming down roughly into the ground, piercing it's surface with a shaking wave of purple light in a focused circle over him. "Thunder explosion!!" he shouted, and giant arms of thunder streaked up towards the sky around him as he penetrated an area of the man's skin at that moment.

"Ahh...!" The man held his abdomen where he had been stabbed and electricuted, "Ki-i-ill y-ah-ou" he breathed, as the blade was driven deeper, Yuan shoved it further, before being blown back by a wave of heat.

Yuan held his ground, staying firmly upright with his sword in the ground before him. "I thought it might have been you who had scorched my walls." he glared, as a spiral of fire was flared forward from the man's arms.

His hood stayed in place, nearly covering his eyes as he made an swooping motion, stepping forward, spinning with another step behind his heel and sending a cannon of flame forward at Yuan, who blocked it quickly and sent it back.

The man twitched his shoulder back and took the blow, "Get ready now..." he crossed his arms and shot them back to his sides in quick, stiff motions, leaving jagged-looking flames.

Raine blinked, stepping back, she was actually watching, the battle seemed to be more oriented on the two of them.

"Fire Plume!" The rocks around the two of them were set aflame, and a wall of fire started rising around them. It was thin and swirling. It curved into a dome and standing there, the dome started to fill with a reddish liquid, Yuan looked down at his boots, then back up to the man with a glare.

"Constrict..." he kneeled and put a hand on the ground, and at contact billows of magma arose from it and thrashed amongst the cage of glowing crimson.

"Ugh!" Yuan grunted, being tossed violently by the hot volcanic substance. Burning at him, stabbing him, his eyes could still open, he watched the man walk through it slowly. The magma descended back into the ground and the cage sunk down after it. With the rocks melted and tinted a vermilion orange, the man's footsteps left trails of liquid rock that stuck to the bottom of his shoes in strings.

He stepped in front of Yuan who continued bracing himself, he readied his hand where a ball of fire swirled. He held it close to Yuan's face so that he could see the fire, in attempt to scare him. from the ball flickered little flames that licked at his face.

"Nh..." he clenched his teeth and tried moving, but his boots were slightly stuck to the melted--- and now, cooling rocks.

"Taste this..." he held his hand to the side where the fire ball fell and landed on the ground, it moved.

Yuan looked at it, almost curious, but more pissed off than anything. He broke free from the binding of the rocks and did numerous back handsets. He was ready now, to charge back at him, but the ball of fire caught his eye, it was growing. It seemed to be sucking the moisture out of the air quickly. It shook and drew up melted rocks, it was starting to form a being of some sort.

"Am I supposed to be threatened?" Yuan narrowed his eyes.

"Probably not." The man smiled gently, looking over to Raine suddenly, who jumped at his attention towards her. "Fenrir, take her." he ordered softly. And the mass of magma formed a dog-like animal of some soft.

Raine readied herself, preparing to fight it.

"Now... I'll rip you open." he whispered with a hint of utter giddiness, smiling and charging forward at Yuan, who gave a cold, rock hard stare. The man drew back his arm high above his head and his hand and forearm merged into a kind of blade-like thorn, he thrust it forward at Yuan's abdomen and it pinned right through. A moment later, however, he found himself collapsed on his knees.

"Y...you bastard!" The man yelled up at Yuan, who had stabbed directly through his ribcage and into his heart.

Raine had destroyed the monster, who growled viciously at her before. It had attempted to take her by the back of the collar but she had just evaded it and made a focused swing light with her staff. It dissipated and it's particles fell back into place with the ground below her. She gave her attention to the two men over to her right, Yuan stood, but barely. He wavered over slightly, stepping again to keep his ground. Raine felt something run through her...

Fear?

Concern...?

As the man drew back his thorned blade again and prepared for another sting. She rushed forward and brought the sharp end of her staff upon the back of his neck.

He gasped something in a husky voice that was much deeper, as if he had become another person. "The name's Lance, love. We'll meet again." his face had turned to a blackened coal, as if he had just come from a fire pit, he was burned everywhere. His compressed ashes under the cloak had started being scraped at by the wind.

Raine watched as he blew away, piece by piece. The ashes were scattered in the air around them and dissapeared, leaving nothing except for what he had worn.

Yuan's vision was pulsing in and out of black, he stepped forward to catch himself but he kept leaning, his head was so heavy, it pulled him, pushed him down. He couldn't feel himself except for the aching pain that throbbed from where he had been stabbed.

"Damn it..." he cussed to himself quietly, holding the wound and dropping his weapon, it clattered on the ground beside them. It must have been extremely heavy, Raine thought, having heard the incredibly loud boom of it's collision with the hardened new rock that had formed. A sudden clash to the soft forest floor that surrounded their epicly large ring. Fire danced on some of the rocks, not even dying down yet.

"Yuan...." Raine looked from the clothes that had sunken into the rock and dissapeared without a trace to the light blue eyes that stared at her, trying to register her safety, trying, closing, opening, struggling.

Yuan collapsed forward all at once and fell onto the warm floor beside her.

She stared down at the man who had saved her just now. She stared in awe at his ability to hold against that man.

"Just... leave my weapon here." he told her, a little muffled by the ground.

A smile slowly spread across her lips, looking down at him in the quiet air except for the flapping sound of fire against wind in the distance.

"Okay." she helped him to his feet and started guiding him across the field of smooth rock.

It must be at least thirty feet from the center... Raine thought to herself in irritation with every step she made. Though accompanied by her exsphere, she was finding his muscular weight a slight problem.

**XXXXX**

**What? don't people _usually _end the chapter after the battle thing? xD You can um.... review on this chapter if you want.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay! Let's do this. sorry for the wait, I was playing Kingdom Hearts. **

**Also, I won't mention Regal because I hate him and he's in jail somewhere because of that.  
**

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* * *

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**XXXXX**

"Hm...." A light hum escaped his throat as his eyes opened to the soft light of the room around him. "Where am I, now?" he asked flatly, and attempted to sit up.

"No, lay back down." Raine pushed him back into the long mass of cushion. "You're at my house in Iselia, Dirk helped me carry you here after hearing what had happened."

"...." Yuan took but a moment to register the situation. Raine was sitting on the bed beside him and his wound hadn't been healed by her yet. "I..." he started.

"Are you alright, now? does it still hurt?" she asked, looking down at his wounded area. It was wrapped with bandages almost tightly.

"I... yes."

"That's good to hear." she said with a straight face, reaching forward and touching the bandages with the tips of her fingers lightly. "It... I tried to heal it but it seemed to be rejecting the treatment for a while, but normal gels and medicine seem to be working." she said. Trailing down the binding and unto his waist where it came to an end. "And your legs are damaged, so you shouldn't be walking... if you feel the need to, use those crutches I've prepared." She spread her hand out forward, lightly against him.

Yuan shivered under the feel of it, and reached up and seized her hand with his.

"Oh, I'm... sorry." Raine snapped out of her trance, blinking and trying to pull her hand back away. His grip tightened.

"You do know that you could have left me there... don't you?" he said with a slight struggle. "... Why did you--"

"I wanted to." Raine cut him off. "And... you should rest." she said, "stop trying to get up." as Yuan was pushing against her hands. He was, though, slightly weaker.

"You think you can control me?" he narrowed his eyes, challenged.

"As the one in her right mind at the moment unlike the hasty one in bed, I feel my opinion may have a bigger count. You should let me take care of you for a while."

Yuan opened his mouth to say something, paused, then shut it. He huffed like a child and released her hand, turning around in bed so that he wasn't facing her. "Fine, do as you like."

"Hm..." Raine mused, "It's like I'm taking care of _Genis_."

"Don't insult me, I'm still stronger than you." he turned his head and looked at her daringly.

"I _see..._" poking teasingly at the wound in his abdomen. Yuan flinched immediately.

He grabbed her wrist again and pulled it to the side opposite to her. Being dragged forward, Raine put another hand forward and another leg onto the bed.

"N-ah!" failing at concealing the squeal that escaped her when he pulled her further above him.

He obviously didn't mean to do that because he gasped lightly, looking down at the lack of distance between them and up again, his eyes widened and he released her hand. He sprouted wings in a split second, he flew out from under her and into the center of the room with a jump.

Raine lowered herself onto the bed, making an M with her legs which were on either side of her as she craned her neck to look up at him. "..." and she thought to herself quietly.

**_I_** get it... she thought, putting a finger to her lips. Yuan seemed to have drops of sweat around his temples and down his neck. He was breathing a bit more than before and looking battle-ready.

"..." she wordlessly understood, "I'll let you rest, then." she slid down from the bed and touched to the floor gracefully. Raine quietly left the room.

He waited for her to shut the door behind herself, and he finally considered landing. When he did, he felt pain shoot up his legs, "Damn!" he cursed, grabbing for the crutches that she left for him. Yuan took a deep breath and went to the window, leaning out of it slightly with his folded arms resting on the sill. He took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair slowly.

"Oh, you're back." Raine looked to the rest of the group who were standing outside the room.

"P-professor! We heard from Dirk what had happened!" Colette clasped her hands together and bounced on her toes. "A-are you okay?!" she was on the brink of lunging forward at her professor.

"Ah! Alas I was not there to prevent this! Here! Let me kiss away your injuri--ah!---" being pulled back roughly by Sheena, Zelos outstretched his arms, "Nooo! I... I must!" he closed and opened his hands in attempt to grab Raine.

"How shameless." Presea scoffed.

"I'm fine, Colette, thank-you for your concern." she smiled, completely ignoring Zelos, "But Yuan, however... is a little on the vital side." pausing, He can obviously still move... she thought, "...I'm not hurt, at all in fact, but Yuan should get some rest. There seemed to be some sort of magic in that man's attack that nullifies the effect of healing, so you'd have to be stocked with gels and potions if you want to face him." she warned.

"How strong _was_ he, Raine?" Sheena asked, curious.

"Not very, we could all take him at once." she said, "But... then again, he did do quite some damage, and we're not exactly experts on his attacks, all we know now is the curse-like side-effect, other than his spells." Putting a folded hand to her lips, she thought, "... He claims his name is Lance. We defeated him but he simply dissipated, His last words were that he was sure that we'll be seeing him again."

"He sounds tough." Zelos put his hands on his hips, "And forcibly trying to take women with him is _not_ cool."

"To tell the truth I only noticed an oppressive or forcible behavior towards Yuan." Raine said, "He seemed to be more focused on meeting me as far as I could tell as first."

"You're sure popular with the guys, Raine." Sheena smirked, catching a quick scold in turn. "I uh..." she scratched her cheek and sweat-dropped, "So do you know why he wants you?"

"Yeah, tell us." Genis blinked.

"We actually haven't found out yet." A voice came from the door behind Raine.

"Yuan, you should be in bed." Raine commanded without turning around. "You shouldn't even be walking now without support like you are now." She could tell, without looking at him that he was being too prideful to give in to his injury.

He decided to ignore her then, "So, everyone's here now?" he walked forward into the group, Raine looked at him, he had put his shirt back on and smoothed out his hair from a few moments ago.

"..."

"Yeah." Lloyd said, "So, are you going to be helping us out, now?"

"Obviously, now that almost all of my men are gone from the base. I would get more recruits if I wasn't certain of my time being wasted when they're all killed the next day."

"Yuan is angry." Presea noted aloud.

"..." Yuan glared in disagreement.

"Hm..." Raine smiled, "Well, I feel I should continue treating his wounds." she said, her normal stoic look returning, "I have a feeling that the curse effect may wear off in time." she said. "And then I can speed up the process--"

"Wow, professor." Lloyd blinked.

"Hm?"

"I'm really surprised that you haven't tried to tie Yuan up so you can study his abnormal wounds while you can already."

Yuan shifted at the thought, actually imagining that, he coughed, crossing his arms and tugging at his collar.

"...." She froze, speechless, as if an idea had just struck her Raine's eyes faded into a light blue-tinted white as she gave Yuan a look. Yuan stood his ground, though feeling uncomfortable under her gaze. He could see it in the way she looked at him.

A yearning curiosity, Desire. Yuan felt slightly overwhelmed by the feeling upon him now. He swallowed.

"My Glamorous Beauty, you can study ME if you want!" Zelos grinned, his voice lowering into a lower growl, he had started unbuttoning his shirt "As long as you want, hon--ow!" getting smacked by Sheena again, he shut himself up.

"Aaaand thanks to _Lloyd,_ something's telling me that Yuan's not going to end up being healed by Raine anymore." Genis sighed and shook his head.

"Heh heh..." Laughing nervously, Lloyd scratched the back of his head.

".........." Raine stared at Yuan, he could have sworn that she was inching closer to him.

"Yes, Raine?" Yuan tried to get a word out of her.

"Marvelous!" she beamed, jumping forward. "Absolutely Genius, Lloyd." she took Yuan's hands in hers, and he felt his face heat up, "With the first-hand data, evidence and effects gathered from the battle we faught: we can try an examination of the cursed wounds to diagnose the source of the problem and maybe a reverse effect or vaccine according to the wounds and the attacks used on him and to what degree..." Her voice was like a fascinated rasp.

Yuan looked into her eyes which were clouded white, he stiffened a little bit by look. It was... how should he put a type of attractiveness she emitted?

"..." Yuan tried to pull his hands away but Raine held onto them tighter, she was in a rush, she looked down at him, at his shirt, she took one of her hands and pulled at his collar while thinking.

"Now, we must start removing the bandages and begin immediately running tests on the central area of damage." Her laugh was almost evil-sounding, as she took the crippled man's arm and dragged him back towards the room.

"Everyone may now proceed with the search for Lance, but do not spread out further than Sylverant until Yuan's healed, actually... don't go any further than the surrounding towns. And also, one must stay behind with Yuan and myself to keep watch around the house's perimeter and be my aid in defense." she spoke smoothly, slowly closing the door behind her, "Presea, you should stay." Her eyes glanced to the side for a moment, "And Genis. The rest of you, goodbye."

"...." Everyone sweat-dropped at her interestingly sudden rush of ruin-mode.

"Man!" moaning, Zelos collapsed forward onto his knees, "I wanted to stay behind with the sexy professor...."

"Come on..." Sheena and Lloyd sighed in unison, dragging him away.

XXXXX

Feeling inhibited to speak, Yuan simply let her push him to the bed. She made him lay on his back and proceeded to remove his shirt, her hands quickly unlatched the front and tossed it to the side. She wasn't nervous, he thought, she was doing it so calmly but with a hint of excitement in her eyes, she wanted to know everything about the wound now.

Lips parting, the closing again when Raine pulled him forward so he would sit upright. He grunted ever-so-slightly in pain when she did so, she gave a small apology barely above a whisper.

I can undress myself, he thought, he had the urge to say, but he didn't. He almost didn't even want to say anything, as Raine pulled his shirt over his head with ease leaving him almost completely bare.

He had nothing on his upper body except for the bandages. Raine started to unwrap them, keeping him sitting upright. She was sitting on the bed now. Raine leaned forward so that their chests were almost touching as she reached behind him to continue unwrapping, her head beside his shoulder as she worked at the bandages.

"..." Raine noticed how stiff Yuan was becoming, she looked up at him with sympathy, a slight smile.

Having said nothing so far, Yuan looked at his attacker blankly in response to her smile.

"Alright," Raine broke the silence, "Now, I need you to lay down as I take notes, okay?" She readied a notebook and already was scribbling furiously into it.

"... You certainly seem to know what you're doing." Yuan commented.

"I'll figure this out eventually, just be patient." Raine's writing utensil didn't waver, keeping a firm pace. "...Okay."

"You're done?" Yuan blinked, slightly surprised despite his first observation of her at the library.

"No, Now I need to run tests." she said, "On every wound." she waited for him to follow, but only getting another blank look in return, "... you have to take your pants off." she motioned downward.

Yuan hesitated, looking down.

_Well_ that was sudden. He thought, the corner of his mouth twitched.

"A-are you sure that's necessary?"

"Well of course." Raine held in a smirk. "You don't need my _help_ again, do you?"

"No--wait." Yuan held a hand forward as Raine reached for the rim of his pants at his waist. She retracted her hand and put it at her side. She stepped to the floor and leaned against the dresser to the side of the bed. She motioned to the bathroom across the room.

"I'm going to end up seeing you in a few moments anyway but feel free to..."

"...." Yuan stalled, seeming reluctant to go anywhere at first. He glanced from Raine to the opportunity across the room.

"Contemplating your choices? Or do you want me help after all?"

Yuan swung his legs over the edge of the bed and looked at the the crutches. He took them and stood up, making his way towards the other room.

_I can't believe I'm listening to her..._ Yuan thought irritably to himself as he walked.

xxxxx

meanwhile (Genis and Presea)

xxxxx

"Still no traces of the enemy." Presea said to Genis who blushed.

"Uh, Yeah!" Genis nodded, agreeing with everything that she said.

"Genis." She had suddenly said.

"Y-yeah?" Genis straightened up when she turned to him. "What is is Presea?"

"You don't have to be so nervous." Giving a calming smile, Presea brought her ax to her side casually. "I'll be obliged to defend you." she said.

"Yeah!" His voice became a little squeaky, flustered and frustrated at himself so that he started internally crying. "I kind of wanted to be the one to..."

"Hm?"

"Nothing!" he put his forearm over his face and cringed.

xxxxx

_meanwhile _(Lloyd's gang)

xxxxx

"Sheena it's hot!"

"Lloyd, I swear to god..."

"But it IS!"

"You two stop fighting, it's making it even hotteeerr!!"

"But_ I_ think it's a _nice_ day out--- hey a snake! Te-hee!"

"AAAHHTHOSEAREPOISONOUS!!" Jumping behind Lloyd, Zelos panted. "Ahh-I mean..." he hesitated, seeing Sheena who was giving him a look of disbelief.

"Since when were you such a pansy?" She glared.

"I've never been to this stupid desert without reihards, okay??"

"Yeah, why didn't we bring Reihards, Lloyd?" Sheena turned to the sheepish swordsman at her side.

"Th-they were at the shop, remember? They broke after that incident."

"What Incident?" Colette blinked.

"when Zelos came up with the brilliant idea to direct us into the hotsprin--"

"H-hey hey!" Zelos cut her off, "It sounded good AT THE TIME, I thought that there would be beautiful women there that day!"

"Uh huh..." Giving him an irritated look, Sheena crossed her arms.

"Look, HOW was I supposed to know that it was senior citizen's day?!" he cried.

"Sheena!" Lloyd groaned.

"Don't even SAY anything, Lloyd." Sheena shot him a glance of spite. "YOU are the one who thought that maybe we should go to Triet."

"B-but it's a nearby town!"

"So don't complain, Damn it!"

"Sheenaaaah!" Zelos whined.

"Zelos?" Sheena sighed.

"It's hOT--- OW!!"

xxxxx

"I wonder what the others are doing right now." Raine sighed, writing something down.

"Why not ask when they get back?" Yuan sighed.

"..." Raine shrugged. "Alright, so does it hurt when I touch here?" She pressed her fingers to a bruise below his knee.

"Not particularly."

"What about here?" Raine moved her hand upward, passed his knee, just above it. She had detected a flinch, a draw-back.

"Is that a yes?" Raine raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's minor."

"I see." She wrote something in her notebook and nodded. "Since we've already done the chemical-based tests, we only have a little left. Are you ready?"

"I'm fine, just hurry up." Showing a look of defiance, Yuan turned his head away from her and towards the window.

"Alright, I'm actually going to move further up, are you sure nothing hurts?"

"Hn...."

Shrugging her eyebrows with a sigh, a little irritated by his lack of response.

"Okay, here?"

Once he felt her press two fingers to his inner thighs and two to his outer, Yuan jerked his leg away from her hands and nearly fell off the bed.

"Ah..." Raine mused for a moment, "**in_tense_** pain in the upper leg area."

"No, you simply surprised me."

"I _asked_ if you were ready, you know." Raine tapped her pen against the clipboard with a smile.

"I didn't think you would go that far up..."

"Well, next I still need to..." voice carried for a moment, she blinked to herself.

"To what?"

Her response was delayed, her eyes trailed down, passed his abdomen to the stomach where ridiculously tones muscles were perfectly in place. It's not as though she hadn't ever... _seen _an athletic man's upper body, but....

_Athletic...._ Raine mentally repeated to herself. Her eyes glued to him, they had moved up for but a moment and scanned the damage.

"..." Yuan stood in silence, trying to figure out what it was that she was looking at.

"I-I ah." Shaking her head, Raine took a breath and jotted something down on her clipboard. "Sorry, so um, does it hurt here?" She gently touched her hand near his wound, afraid to touch it directly.

Flinching slightly in response, Yuan tried to remain motionless. "Yeah, a bit."

"I see." Raine pulled her hand away and continued writing. "Okay, so from what I've gathered here, We might be able to come up with a reverse solution with these ingredients." she cleared her throat, putting the clipboard forward in front of Yuan so he could see it.

"..." his eyes scanned over it's content, he happened to glance down and notice that there were about thirty other used pages behind it.

_That's why _it seemed like she kept flipping the page over... Yuan thought to himself, a drop of sweat trickled down his neck.

"I appreciate you being so co-operative." Raine smiled, and stood. "You still have to remain in bed for a while. We'll get the ingredients and try a cure based on what I had read before, how does that sound?"

"Hn..." Yuan shrugged. "I couldn't care less, though you're the one they're targetting."

"...indeed." Raine sighed again and put her clipboard on the table beside him. "...Goodnight."

"..."

With that, she left the room, shutting off the light on her way.

It was then that he realized,, his heart had been beating slightly fater the entire time.

xxxxx

**DONE! HELL yes!!**

**Okay, review if you would!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay!, letz do this! Yeah!**

**Ah... *_* imagining something... I've got it.**

**XXXXX**

"So remind me again. what exactly are we getting?" Lloyd sighed and put a hand on a nearby chair for support.

"…" Seeming to be pondering over his discomfort for a moment, examining his state of being, Raine cleared her throat and started speaking again, "These here, so take this list." she said, taking a piece of paper which was a copy of the objects from her original. "These all seem vital towards his recovery, and may help us figure out how to defend against Lance more efficiently."

"…" Lloyd took the list and scanned over it, "…What?!" he looked up at the professor in disbelief, "Y-y-you mean to say that we're going to have to go all the way to Tethe'alla just to--"

"Well, that is where I had found the documentation originally. That may have something to do with it."

Mouth hanging open, Lloyd was bent over forward looking as though he had lost his soul.

"And…."

"That means…" Genis continued for him.

"That we're going to have to walk all the way to Asgard where that guy's working on our reihards." Sheena groaned, "Sheesh… give us a break, Raine…"

"Leave it to me…" Lloyd sighed.

"It's better if you rest here tonight though. To save up your strength."

"Great!" Lloyd suddenly grinned, "I'll see you tomorrow then, professor." With a wave he dismissed himself and everyone in the group followed him with the exception of Genis.

"Raine, is it okay if I go with Lloyd?"

"I suppose."

"Cool!" he laughed and followed the rest of the group.

"Raine, I shall continue to stand guard here." Presea gave a stoically confident nod to her.

"Very well, do as you wish." Raine agreed, she yawned from behind her hand before crossing her arms. "I think that I'll turn in now, though." She said, and with that, turned from Presea and started walking towards her bedroom. "There's an extra bed here, so feel free to…"

"O-oh… I see." Presea gave a small smile, "Thank you, Raine."

"It's fine. And if you end up going outside for any reason, make sure that the doors are locked before you sleep, okay?"

"Yes."

"Alright, Good night, Presea."

"…Night'."

xxxxx

Creak...

Hearing the door open, Yuan opened his resting eyes and stood up in bed.

"I'm surprised you haven't tried to do laps or something already. You're not one to obey, Yuan." Raine gave him a teasing smile that irritated the hell out of him.

"I'm a 4,000-year-old cruxis angel who's been fighting battles all his life, do you think that I'm stupid?"

"Hmm..." Raine sighed, stretching her arms far above her head as she approached the other bed on the other side of the room. "Well." she paused, "Maybe considering _your_ leader."

"..." Yuan also paused, managing his temper, "...I suppose you're right. I'm a leader of the Renegades but Mithos manipulated us all nevertheless."

"I'm glad that it's over." Raine sighed, sitting on her bed and stripping herself of her outer orange labcoat by pulling the edges of it away from her chest and pulling it downward, she slung it over the back of a nearby chair at a research-covered but somehow very organized desk.

"Hn."

"...." Her eyes narrowed, not particularly surprised by his sudden silence but more-so by his cerulean eyes on her.

They were sitting in silence for but a moment before Yuan just turned from her and lay back down under the blankets. "It's too hot in here." he muttered, trying to veil a red streak that was pushing to reveal itself.

Blinking at him for a moment, Raine stepped down from her bed and went to the window, she pushed the window open and took in a breath of the open sky's cool midnight air.

"Is this better?" Raine glanced back at him.

"Hn." Yuan turned from her again.

Heh... Raine thought with a mental sigh, "Good, then." She walked to the candle at her desk and leaned forward, blowing it out with a quick huff.

xxxxx

The Lloyd Crew

xxxxx

"Sleeeee-e-e-epoveeerr!" Jumping forward, Zelos spread his arms and attempted diving face-first into Sheena's chest. "OW!" he recoiled, having had someone step on his foot with force, then a head collision with the person.

"You idiot..." Genis sighed and shook his head, Sheena laughed a little at Lloyd who was holding his head and groaning.

"You guys! I brought a plate of milk for everyone before be--ah-oops!" Colette slipped forward.

"Ah!" Lloyd seen it coming, jumping to his feet but slipping the moment he put pressure on his right leg.

"Got it." Sheena grabbed the plate from the girl as she landed on Lloyd.

"Oops..." Colette giggled and stuck her tongue out. "Sorry!" she pushed herself upwards but while still sitting just below Lloyd's abdomen.

"You guys are hopeless." She shook her head and sat down on the floor, re-forming the circle they were just in.

"Yay, milk!" Zelos reached forward and--

**(Pause as Author contemplates if Zelos should have to pick last.)**

--took one glass with his right hand, everyone did the same. Lloyd chugged it while everyone else took slower gulps.

"Say, what do you suppose the professor's doing right now?" Colette pondered thoughtfully.

"Uh... sleeping?" Lloyd suggested.

"I doubt it." Zelos put on a serious face. "You _know_what adults like to do with each other when they're alone in the same room overnight, Lloyd. You do too, Sheena."

"Huh?" Colette, Genis and Lloyd all said simultaneously.

"What?!" Zelos nearly choked on his beverage. "Whoa, Lloyd, you seriously can't mean to say that you don't...."

_**Genis's Thoughts:**_

"So." Yuan was breathing heavier, "You sure you want to do this?"

"Y...yes." with the slight hesitation, shifting under his gaze, Raine nodded.

"I see" Yuan sighed, closing his eyes for a moment in thought, then opening them and saying, "there's no going back... Are you ready?"

"..." Nodding and swallowing, Raine took a breath and braced herself for what was to come. She closed her eyes and held her breath.

"Get ready! Go!"

Raine's pencil was writing rapidly at a piece of paper as he spoke.

"First through seventy ninth leaders of Mizuho in alphabetical order!"

"Done!"

"The date of birth and time and date of death of the forty second chosen of mana!"

"Got it!"

_**End Genis's thoughts**_

Genis squinted his eyes at the ground, .... they would be quizzing eachother? he thought. He was giving a very baffled stare at the ground as he let his mind wander.

**_Colette's Imagination_**

"More Tea, Miss Sage?" Yuan stepped from the double doors that weren't there before, he was dressed in a black vest except for the white sleeves, collar and red tie. His black slacks finished into a butler outfit. He stood before the platinum blond woman who was dressed in a fancy white Victorian dress, she wore white gloves with lace and an umbrella of the same color that she would twirl occasionally.

"Oh!" Raine's eyes lit up. "I.... I see you brought your...."

"Ah-oh!" Yuan gasped in realization, blushing and looking down at the large, flat oval tray he held in his hand at shoulder level. "You don't have to... I mean, i-if you don't--"

"N-no!" Raine breathed, jumping from her chair and running to him, "I will! I... I'll eat them all!" she took the bag of cookies from the edge of the tray and opened them.

_**End Colette's Imagination**_

"NO!" Colette gasped aloud and put a hand over her mouth, then thinking, No, professor, you'll get fat eating all of them by yourself!! Ask him to share with you or something! No! she sniffed sadly at the thought of Raine not following her unheard advice.

Zelos gave her a look of utter amazement, "Y...you don't mean that you.... Ack!!! No! What man who wasn't me has tainted you, my angel?!" Zelos jumped forward and grabbed Colette's shoulders.

**_Lloyd's Imagination_**

_Snooooooore _Yuan rolled over and flopped an arm forward onto Raine's stomach.

"Raine move over yer hoggin the pilloooow." Yuan groaned into the back of her head.

"No my blankets," Raine nuzzled her face further into the bed and hummed a quiet moan, "I think spaghetti sounds good on that jello..."

"I like your.... mmgh--frogs" Yuan started snoring again.

**_End Lloyd's Imagination_**

-Silence-

".... heh." Lloyd did his famous L to the bridge of the nose and the forehead hand motion and smirked. "I think that it's completely natural, I don't see what you guys are so--"

"Not the cookies, NO!" Colette cried.

"Raine! No, you can't stay up all night being quizzed! you have a lot to do tomorrow!!" he cringed, possibilities of his sister's imaginary recklessness rushed through his mind all at once.

"Zelos." Sheena forced a smile, "Don't ruin this one's innocence." patting his back she gave a firm one for him to shut up.

"Raine!" Genis and Colette ran through the front door and sprinted towards the sage household in the near-dark.

XXXXX

-knock-

-knock-

Suspicious, Raine cautiously took her staff and approached the door slowly.

"Who is it?" Raine called through a crack in the door.

"Raine, go to sleep!" Genis seemed panicked. "You shouldn't be doing that with Yuan this late!"

"Professor! You can't use umbrellas indoors!" Colette desperately explained.

The woman took a moment to register what they were talking about, she opened the door and looked at them.

"I give up, where is this coming from?"

"Zelos said that we knew what adults did with each other when they're alone in the same room at night!" Colette blurted.

Raine's eyes widened for but a split moment, she put a fist to her mouth and coughed.

"I-I ah..." she almost struggled to find her voice, "Then him and I need to have a chat. But for now, you two should head back. Yuan and I are not doing anything in particular but sleeping in separate beds at the moment, so there's nothing to worry about." Raine laughed nervously, inching back away from the flustered kids and slowly closing the door. "A-an umbrella?" a bead of sweat rolled down the back of her neck as she blushed to herself, falling back against the closed door behind her and running fingers through her hair.

"That was close." Colette grinned at Genis as they walked back.

"Yeah, we really helped Raine by warning her."

"Yeah!"

xxxxx

"How are you feeling?" The image above him was actually a slight blur at first, he stared and said nothing at first, sitting up in bed and looking at Raine.

"Seraphs don't sleep, how do you think I feel?"

"Uncomfortable, awkward, surprised... confused."

Yuan didn't reply, he got up from bed and stretched. "Hm.... this does feel good." he noted quietly. And then looked at Raine again who seemed to be staring at him with an enticed look.

"So..." she furrowed her eyebrows and sat on the bed promptly beside him. "After being inflicted by the man's attack, it made it easier for you to fall asleep?"

"I suppose, I'll admit I felt a little prone to it, like a human would be, or a person without a cruxis crystal."

"..." her lips parted into a ghost of a smile that was hardly there, then closed again as she thought. "Aptiblockosis..." she ranted off as she got down from the bed and started towards the door.

"I... have something I could--"

"Th-that's okay, Professor." Presea had opened the door and had stepped in with a tray of food. "I have prepared an efficient breakfast before the both of you and I." she said, as relieved that they both nodded just as much as Raine was, and as Yuan would have been if he had known the truth.

Raine sighed and laced her fingers, incredibly relieved she didn't have to cook for him.

**XXXXX**

**Sorry guys, gotta end it. Review if you want. Technically I can't force you.... ^_^'' So uh, yeah. I hafeta sleep now, g-night.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Update time. sorry for the wait. Trying to work with the testing out of math and history class type thing.  
**

**RECAP:**

Raine is researching something at the renegade base after a massive slaughter of the renegades, this becomes apparent to her when people are heard in the base and they both escape. With the new threat present to her, Raine escapes to Tethe'alla with Yuan to find Lloyd and the others after sighting a suspicious man.

They go to Dirk's house but the only ones there are Lloyd, Colette and Genis. So they split up due to the numerous places their friends could be and the limited time until the man shows himself.

Lloyd, Genis and Colette are gone. So as Raine and Yuan leave they come across him, (Yeah... it's like, "Oh SHIT")

He doesn't with to fight Raine, and really makes no real attack towards her while he fights Yuan even though she tried to fight him initially. He seemed to have this power that entranced her for but a moment, but Yuan snapped her out of it.

So Yuan ends up kicking his ass but is still injured nevertheless.

Now Yuan's...like, a cripple.... and Raine's healing isn't working on his wounds yet, so she suspects a curse-like effect. She wants a way to reverse and prevent it and had read on a similar move before, so she sent Lloyd and the others to go find the ingredients which are in Tethe'alla, while she and Presea stayed behind with Yuan.

**End Recap**

xxxxx

Lloyd and the others. The journey.

xxxxx

"Sooooo." Zelos trailed, "How much fur--"

"Zelos, don't even say anything." Sheena cut him off.

"B-but! It's the second time we're hiking through sand in the passed--"

"Shut UP." She growled, throwing her empty cantine at his face.

"Ow! Lloyd the banshee hit me!"

"You guys shouldn't be so angry, we should stay alert in case that guy shows up." Lloyd said, putting his arms behind his head.

"...Really."Genis sighed.

xxxxx

Raine, Presea, Yuan

xxxxx

"..." Yuan took the plate in his hands as Presea put it in his direction with a smile.

"I didn't know that you could cook, Presea." Raine smiled, then thinking _I kind of wanted to try a breakfast recipe I thought up last night though...._

"..." Yuan stared for a second, at the plate of fried eggs before him. Breakfast in bed, charming in a way, He thought.

"Professor?" Presea cocked her head to the side in attempt to decode Raine's expression.

_And then I would add the shredded cheese and cake mix._

"..." Holding the fork in his hand, Yuan looked up from his food.

"..." She lifted her hand to her face as she thought, her fingers lining her cheek and thumb to her other side. Staring intensely downward, Raine brainstormed with the numerous things that she could always add hot chili peppers to.

"..." Presea hesitated, but then turned to Yuan, "It's.... fine, I think." she looked down, before starting to eat the steaming food before her.

Yuan went silent for a moment before returning to his meal, he seemed to enjoy it for some reason.

xxxxx

The house was silent. To put it simply, they were all bored.

Well, with the exception of Raine who decided to make another report on the difference in forest animals, Tethe'alla vs Sylvarant.

Presea sighed and hummed to herself while pacing the room slowly, glancing out the window occasionally and watching Yuan, then Raine, then the door.

silence.

"...Presea," Raine had a bit of sympathy for her, she looked up over the top of a small pair of glasses at the girl and made a small smile, "You should keep watch outside, maybe it would be more effective if you could keep a perimeter watch."

"I understand." she just turned and left, her blunt and sharp looking ax in hand as she stepped quietly.

Raine sighed the moment Presea closed the door behind her.

"...Hn." Yuan made a noise out of boredom and glanced from the window to Raine again, observing her everlasting concentration. But after a few minutes of him staring he noticed her starting to get uncomfortable, unfocused.

"...Do you want something to do?" Raine asked suddenly, "Is... that why you're--"

"No."

"I see." Raine paused for a moment before returning to her work. "I wonder if your wounds are ready to be healed yet..." she trailed, thinking aloud.

"Maybe you should try."'

Getting no reply at first, Raine closed her notebook and stood, pushing her chair back.

"I suppose." she cleared her throat and started walking towards the bed. "Please ah..." she looked down at him, indicating he had to undress himself.

"I'm a bit exhausted." Yuan stretched with his arms above his head and looked up at her challengingly.

"I'll do it, then." Raine said, making it clear that he wouldn't be able to get out of it. She sat on the bed and pulled him forward so that he was sitting upright, she then put the tips of her fingers to his waist where the plain white shirt ended. She grasped the rim and quirked an eyebrow at Yuan, he didn't make a motion to stop her.

"Nh-" Raine made an unnoticed, slight pulling away of her hands as the contacted the firm surface of his lower stomach.

"Something wrong?" Yuan questioned.

"N-no." Raine lifted her chin and straightened herself out mentally. She grasped the bottom of his shirt and pulled it upward. She maneuvered it over his head and disposed of it off to the side as she began examining his wounds.

"Ah, they're still not fully healed yet. I'll try now." The woman lifted her arms and held Yuan's wide shoulders in her smaller hands. "I need you to lay down, I'm going to have to make a focused move. " she said, Yuan stiffened, her tentative hands were soft and sent chills down his spine at contact.

"Yeah." Yuan agreed and put himself on his back.

"Hold still." She pressed her fingers gently to the left side of his ribcage where the jagged wound started, she trailed lightly around the edge of it, which caused Yuan to flinch slightly. The front of her hands were illuminating a solid indigo glow as she moved them along the wound. He found himself relaxing a bit, it was warm to the touch and tingled the surrounding flesh. The gash slowly re-sealed itself after her hand's movement.

"....Okay, I think that this should do it." she said, stepping back and looking down. "I can.... help you to the bathroom if you so wish."

"Problem." Yuan cut her off, "You should just hurry and help me here, considering I can't touch the ground anymore."

"You mean the injuries have moved to your feet?" Raine was slightly confused, "So it's also containing a virus-like effect in the magma substances spewed from the..." she looked down him and pondered. "I suppose I can help you here then...." she trailed, as Yuan stood up and swung his legs over the bed so that his feet were dangling.

She hesitated, but gathered herself quickly and knelt in front of him, forward a bit in between his legs. She reached forward at his hips and grabbed the rim of his pants. Staring down at her with a kind of stoic curiosity, waiting, blank. Raine returned his stare with a glance, he didn't seem to be trying to stop her.

Raine made a slight sigh to herself, and proceeded to tug his pants down around his ankles.

**A/N: My mentality while typing this: Tugging his pants down _slowly_... with a sexy growl, he likes it.**

Finding herself sighing again in relief seeing that he was wearing boxers underneath--

**A/N: My mentality while typing this: Yeah, as if he wouldn't be. Like "Hey, take my pants off I'm not wearing anything under this." or maybe he would be wearing a thong... ha, dude I should like, put that instead....  
**

Proceeded to press her glowing hands firmly into his outer thighs. She noticed Yuan gripping the sheets, a bit tense at the contact of her soft hands against his legs. After healing the upper part of his legs Raine started to wonder why he didn't even have hair on his legs, was it a Cruxis crystal thing? Or maybe an athletic thing....

Her face reddened for a moment, but she shook her head and regained her composure.

...Swallowing, Raine averted her eyes from his legs, taking a mental break for a split second.

Okay.

She groped down the back of his calves and the pain dulled away.

Raine grabbed his ankles and lifted them. "I'm going to start now, does this hurt?"

"Hn." Yuan looked away, fully turning his head. "Just hurry up." he lifted his chin in unmistakable superiority.

"..." Raine narrowed her eyes in a glare. "_Yes?_" the corner of her mouth twitched. Getting no real reply, Raine simply moved along. She slipped his shoes and socks off and held his heels in her hands on either side of her.

It took a moment at first, but the Raine felt more injuries further down his feet. She slid her hands down them and after a duration of ten seconds she was very convinced of her completion.

"I think that should do it."

"Hm." Yuan stepped onto the floor and looked down at his feet, he reached down and felt the place where a huge jagged scar a little below his chest should be but wasn't.

No reply at first.

"...Well done." Yuan started walking towards Raine who had stepped back as he got up. He stopped before her and paused.

They stood there in silence for a few seconds of Yuan observing her and Raine observing the places where the wounds had healed.

"..." Raine kneeled for a moment, grabbing something, she rose to her feet and handed him a shirt with a raised eyebrow.

He took it in his hands and turned from her. His stride was almost slow, the well-tones muscles in his back flexed, along wide, masculine shoulders.

Swallowing again, Raine just turned around and ran her fingers through her hair with a flustered intake of air.

A few moments of Raine waiting for him to finish changing and she found herself nervous. Tempted to dart for the door.

No.... I can't loose my nerve over something so trivial. Raine thought to herself. But upon feeling the trembling of Yuan's voice against the back of her neck, Raine started holding her breath.

"I'm not exactly sure how you want me to repay you." He whispered.

"You saved me, correct?" Raine stepped away from him and turned so that she could look him in the eyes. "I think it's me who's just repaid you." She smirked and with that faced the door and started walking.

"..." Yuan closed his eyes, also with a smirk, "Hm..." with that he turned and retrieved his cloak from the other side of the bed.

XXXXX

"...Professor, did something--"

"No." Raine tried to smile, "N-no, Presea, I'm fine." Raine straightened out her clothes again and sat at the table with some notes. "There's something I have to go over again though. There's a chance I may have to go to another library somewhere to gather just a bit more data. I think... I'm missing something."

"Do you... want me to run a task, Raine?" Presea asked.

"No, that's quite alright. I just healed Yuan's wounds so there's no further reason for me to stay behind."

"I see." Presea trailed.

**XXXXX**

**Okay, that was seriously short. I wanted it to sort of like an exponential growth where the chapters lengths are getting... well, basically, lengthier. Guess I'm an epic fail now.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

Shadow was talking to herself while typing absently at the computer's keyboard. "My favorite song?" she blinked, thrown off by the sudden question that popped up in her mind. "Well that's an easy one, it would have to be the one with that guy with the sexy voice screaming '_FASTER_ FASTER!' at you and has 'taking her clothes off' included in it's title.'

Nodding to herself, Shadow grins. Mom stares for a moment and shakes her head, turning around and walking down the hallway rubbing her forehead and muttering.

**Yay... reviews... my self esteem went up a few poptarts. (xD no, kidding, cuz I'm already there, dude)**

**So... because of a request for more Lloyd and Colette, I'll start out with them and try to draw it out a bit, hows that sound? ^^**

* * *

"Okay, so who's sleeping where?" Lloyd put his hands on his hips and cleared his throat.

"I'm fine anywhere as long as it's not with the pervert over there."

Blown back as if just punched in the face, Zelos collapsed backwards dramatically.

"Yeah, I'd hate to be a girl and be in the same room with that guy." Lloyd agreed. crossing his arms and nodding.

Zelos was thrown forward _as if_ just kicked in the back.

"So that means that you and Genis are the only ones who can sleep in the same room with Zelos." Colette thought aloud, with a finger to her cheek.

"Oh, come ON!" Zelos was kneeling now, plastered with imaginary bruises. "These words pain me, what's with the huge discussion on not being around me?!"

"Well, sorry Zelos." Lloyd scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "But um..."

Colette was thinking, "It's.... because you snore, right?"

....Everyone looks at her.

....silence.

"Y-yeahhh... but that might not be the only---" Sheena was cut off by Zelos lunging forward and taking Colette's hands in his.

"Oh, but I do not, dear maiden.... Would thou sleepeth with me and test these fool's theories with thine own experience..." a weird light seemed to be flashing behind Zelos's eyes that sparked an irritation in Lloyd and Genis.

"NO! She's sleeping with Sheena and you're staying with us!" They said simultaneously, grabbing him and pulling him back in strangle holds.

".... Heh..." Sheena forced a smile.

"Sheena?" Colette looked at Sheena with utter confusion. "What are they talking about? Why can't I sleep with Zelos?" she blinked.

"Because I--I ah..." Sheena's face flashed into a deep red. "I think it's because he....."

"..."

"Sleep...talks..."

"...?"

"A-and rolls around a lot and talks about boy things that girls like you don't like listening to."

"_Ohhh._" Colette sighed with her hands laced over her chest, then beamed at Sheena thankfully, "Thanks for the warning, I _HATE_ spiders!"

"Haha yeah."

xxxxx

ten minutes later

xxxxx

Creeeakk....

"Zelos, you're not leaving this room." Lloyd Growled from the darkness.

"Uhh...." Zelos froze in his tracks. "I have to use the bathroom, Jeez."

"Right, right." Zelos cringed at hearing Lloyd get up and walk over to him. "Then do it."

"I will!" he put his hands on his hips and turned from him. He felt Lloyd's eyes on him as he walked down the hallway and stopped at the bathroom door. Zelos stared through half-lidded eyes down the hall at Lloyd irritation.

Lloyd mimicked the hands on the hips motion and raised an eyebrow as Zelos finally sighed and walked into the bathroom.

"Ugh, I can't believe that guy!" Zelos groaned, sitting on the lid on the toilet seat with his cheeks in his hands.

xxxxx

"..." With narrowed eyes, Zelos stared down the dim hallway. A smile made it's way to his features at the sight of Lloyd not being there. He would have heard him if he was. He looked the other way. Lloyd wouldn't have been able to see him if he was on the first floor, what with the stairs in the way.

"Ah." Zelos almost chuckled, as he strode down, passed Lloyd and Genis's room and to the girls'.

Zelos opened the door with a sing-song voice "Heeeey ladiess--- ah..." he cut himself off. Staring into the eyes of the eternal swordsman with his hand on his sword hilt.

"...." Zelos slowly stepped out and closed the door after him.

xxxxx

"Raine?" Yuan finally decided to approach the woman. "I thought that you had already gotten all of the ingredients written down, is there something you've missed."

"...." Raine furrowed her eyebrows and flipped another page, then glance up at Yuan, then down again. Pondering. Tapping the table with one finger absently. Flipping back again.

".... Well?"

"Yes. I believe so."

"....You can't be serious, can you?" Yuan's lips parted.

"I am." Raine took a breath and held it but with her mouth open, as if about to say something, lifting one finger to indicate her oncoming sentence. But then she let it out and closed her mouth.

"Mmm..." Raine closed her eyes and hummed thoughtfully with a hand framing her chin in an L.

"An ingredient, I presume."

"And a book." she said, pressing her fingers together and speaking. "Here's the thing. I have some ingredients written down, almost all of them. The ones I gave to Loyd."

"But?" Yuan raised and eyebrow and a hand questioningly.

"But that's just it, The ingredients I gave him are the base ones. I need another one I realize, to reverse that specific curse effect based on what I seen on you earlier but I'm not sure what it is yet."

Yuan hesitated. "I wish I could tell you, but as members of Cruxis we didn't exactly sit around reading all day, though it was often enough, I don't recall anything on the effects and resolution to which you're referring. Could you tell me a bit more on this?"

"I believe that I heard of a book that deals with the subject and just might contain the resolve." Raine replied, leaning back into her chair but still with a perfectly arched, upright back.

"Called?"

"Obsydius, It should lead to whatever the last ingredient will be."

Yuan fell silent for a split moment, his lips slightly parted. "Obsydius?" He repeated silently.

Raine looked at him, hoping for an answer, but in not immediately getting one she sighed, "I'm also not particularly certain of it's whereabouts." she said, "But I may be able to get information from another town."

"I may know where it is." Yuan finally said.

"Hm?" Raine's eyes lit up. "Wh-where?" she stood, pushing back the chair with the back of her legs.

"....Some ruins,completely untouched, that's all I have to say. But you should get some sleep for now. We'll discuss more this tomorrow." his expression was hard to make out, like he was amused by the thought of it's location but as if calculating something, a distance perhaps.

"...." Raine closed her eyes and strode past him. "Fine." she said, the moment she was behind him, out of his view. "But on the way, I hope you'll explain more."

"I suppose."

"...hm" Slightly suspicious now, Raine glanced behind her to catch a look of sympathy from the seraph. Which bewildered her. Why sympathy? she thought, facing the door again.

**_xxxxx_**

**Adventure day 2**

**_-Very early in the morning-_**

**_xxxxx_**

"I'm surprised that you're traveling so lightly." Yuan spoke honestly, as Raine picked up her bag, empty except for a loaf of bread and a few apples.

"...." Raine gave him a blank look at first, but then decided to reveal her plan to him. "Well you see, I won't be able to take anything from the ruins if my bag is full already." Raine lifted a finger to make a point.

"Hn." Yuan blinked at her as he thought, _I _should have know, he put a hand on his forehead for a moment, lifting his bangs from his eyes and letting the smallest of smiles grace the corners of his lips. "Very well."

xxxxx

"We're taking the others with us?" Raine looked at Yuan questioningly as they came upon Triet.

"No."

"Then why are we here?"

"Because they haven't left yet, and the only method of us getting to the ruins is a s..." he cut himself off with a brief pause, "Well, it only has two seats, usually Botta and I were the only ones to use the machine if we were to go anywhere with it, so not only won't there be room but I'm not sure that we should leave without having someone tall everyone where we went."

"...So I am going to join Lloyd and the others?" Presea blinked, looking hopeful, in fact.

"...Yes, We're dropping you off here." Yuan replied.

"..." Raine almost became suspicious again, "That's understandable." she nodded, "But I have to ask, _what_ will we be riding in?"

"You'll see when we get there." Yuan said. "Just.... be prepared."

**My mentality while typing: Okay as a reader I'd be thinking _unicycle_. But it is not, just so you know. I can kind of picture that but I don't see it actually happening. **

As they approached the gate, the sun was barely coming up, in the horizon where the desert met the sky, a long dome of red light stretched from left to right as far as they could see, that faded into an orange and green that became blue, lit dimly now by the upcoming sun.

"Presea, find the others and make sure that they know where we are, don't let them follow us because they already have something that they have to be looking for. The other ingredients are vital still." Raine instructed.

"....Alright." Presea nodded in agreement and headed straight towards the inn that stood distantly across a very large lot of sand-covered bricks-painted-blue.

They stood there, just the two of them for a moment, Raine took a step forward hesitantly, but then turned to face Yuan who was nearly a silhouette in the rising sun, all edges of him were frames of glowing apricot. His arms crossed as he thought.

Raine said nothing, she stood with her lips parted as she stared, surprised by the butterfly, regardless of how small, she could detect inside of her.

Saying nothing, Yuan let his mouth open slightly, so that you could see only the edges of his teeth under his lips. He was staring, he didn't notice himself at first, watching her matching expression. A blanket of vivid sherbert radiated from her face into his eyes, certain strands of her silver hair looked highlighted, a long line of vermillion shine streaked acrossed from one side to the other.

He felt his tongue slide over his lips instinctively and quickly.

Raine drew a breath quickly to balance herself, "I-I ah... we should get going now."

"..." Yuan snapped out of it and turned from her and started walking. "We're going to the base to get the su-ah -- machine." he shook his head. "Quickly."

"Hm." Raine nodded in agreement.

xxxxx

"A sah-submarine?!" Raine stepped back in utter shock and nearly fell back. "N-NO! I-I-I'm NOT getting in that thing--- " she turned to him "You can't make me!!"

"_Oh_...?" Yuan quirked an eyebrow at her skeptically.

"..." Raine's eyebrow twitched in anticipation in seeing his expression which scared her.

xxxxx

**Yeah.**

**Ha. Ha. Raine's so silly. "Youc can't make me," Ha.... she's so naive in a way. I mean, come _on_ Raine, he can make you do_ anything_ if he really _wanted_ to.... **

**Which.... he does.**

**... Now that I think about.**

**.....**

**WHAT? she would like it!**


	8. Chapter 8

**The dust bunnies said that I should update. Gotta listen to the bunnies, man. They know all. (No I'm not a druggie I just choose to talk like one.)**

**xxxxx**

"Oh!" Genis's eyes lit up as he watched her approach, "Presea, what are you doing here--" cutting himself off and going into another sentence, "D-did you maybe come to... to see me--"

"I have a message for all of you from the Professor and Yuan."

"Oh..." Genis's face fell.

"A message?" Lloyd descended the stairs, followed by Colette, Sheena and Zelos.

"Yes, this is important."

xxxxx

Convincing

xxxxx

"I'm sorry I acted in such a manner, I was simply thrown off." Raine cleared her throat with an obvious blush on her flustered face, she was now containing herself a bit more.

"I should hope so." Yuan mumbled, straightening out his clothes after having to nearly chase Raine around the base for several minutes. "Now..." They were back in the submarine room now, lighted blue circular walls around them and a hard black floor with what looked like veins of aquamarine embedded throughout it, illuminating a similarly colored glow.

The veins ran in zigzags from the wall to the submarine pit, A raised step all around the circular opening in the floor full of water, emerged in it was a Jet black Submarine, it's top opened into a small set of stairs that attatched and detatched to and from the large step.

"...Are you coming or not?" Yuan inquired straightforwardly but charmingly as he turned to her after putting himself before the step.

Raine stared at him warily, glancing at the door again.

"I'd appreciate you not running." He said, stepping down into the submarine's floor among two chairs.

Raine took a deep breath and walked towards him. "Yes I--" she paused before the step, Yuan had lifted his hand up before her for her to take.

"It's fine,"

Her eyes were wider just slightly, she was near embarassed.

"But I..."

"I'll make sure that nothing happens to you." Yuan whispered in a low voice, loud enough for her to hear.

They were silent for a split moment, and in not getting a reply, Yuan took Raine softly by the arm and pulled her forward into him. Raine almost stumbled, being pulled suddenly into the sub with her forehead pressed to his firm, strong chest. His arm holding her to him at her lower back.

"Th-that's reassuring I suppose...." Raine mumbled, sighing.

"Hold on to something." Yuan said casually as he took another hand and lifted it to press something on the wall beside the stairs, and instantaneously, from it sprouted a thick barrier of glass that closed them in, the very top of it was another black material that contained some sort of navigation technology, roofing the ship.

"...." Raine took a breath, ".... You're smart, Yuan."

"You're surprised?"

"N-no... Just how well you know me already, is all."

It threw him off for a moment, his eyebrows went up and he blinked, but his normal Yuan-like expression soon returned. "How so?"

"You knew."

"..."

"That I would have ran if you had told me that we would be traveling in this before we reached the base." she let a small smile be revealed, chuckling at her own words.

"Ah-" Yuan nodded in acknowledgement for what she said. "You're a bit predictable."

"..." Raine fell silent, she was still pressed into his chest, she put her hands up against his stiffening chest.

"I should start the ship now." Yuan said quickly, breaking away from the contact swiftly and turning from her. He seemed embarassed again, and like Raine had suspected before, he was regaining his composure, even for the very very split moment that it was first lost, Raine could barely tell, but she could.

He's totally just afraid of contact, or just really uncomfortable with it. As if he hadn't touched someone in thousands of years or something.

Which was pretty true, thus understandable.

Raine let herself smile again as she turned and walked a foot or so to the chair which was about a doorframe's width from Yuan's chair, his had all of the controls and a steering wheel. He would be driving and commanding, Raine notoced that her chair had a screen before it, a built-in keyboard that stood erect from the wall in sort of an hourglass shape.

Yuan opened his mouth to speak as he sat in his chair and leaned back, but Raine spoke first.

"So I'm guessing that you want me to..."

"Keep tabs on our surroundings, the device on the top of the sub has a radar--" he spoke as a light rumbling put Raine on-edge. She grabbed the edges of the chair arms as the sub descended, and as water and darkness completely rose around the dome of thick --what looked and felt like glass-- and consumed them. "And it's data will be sent to your side. Clear enough?"

"Yes, it sounds easy enough."

"Good, I hope you know what you're doing for the most part."

"I believe I do." Raine looked at him, in defiance to his '_giving orders_' front. "You don't have to worry about me."

"...." Yuan closed his eyes with a smirk, "Hmph..." he pulled back a lever and his hands naturally found their way at the steering wheel.

"Ymh!" Raine put a hand over her mouth in surprise as the sub suddenly shot out and into an open-water area of light blue. They were under the water and Raine could look up and see the top of the water.

_'Oh God oh god air'_ Raine started biting her lip nervously, crossing and uncrossing her legs uncomfortably. Tapping her fingers against the arm rest as she read the almost-blank data screen above the keyboard. It displayed a picture of an overall view of everything picked up by the radar, the coral reef that was very distant below them, schools of silvery red fish wriggled past their sub together quickly.

Floating, yet so submerged, Raine felt as if the air was leaving her, she took yet another breath and braced herself.

All the while with Yuan Musing from a few feet away, he glanced over to her curiously, it was almost... dare he think this--- cute for her to be so on-edge, the oh-so-very composed professor Sage so _scared_, but... did she think that he would let something happen to her or something? 'That's absurd' he thought.

"...." He wanted to say something, but she just seemed so....

"How much longer until we get there?" Raine lifted her hands to her face and started rubbing her temples.

"Not much longer if you consider four hours of this a short trip."

"..."

....No reply.

"Raine?"

He looked at her more carefully and happened to notice that she looked as though her soul had just floated out.

xxxxx

"Are you certain that this won't cause any difficulties for you?" Asking with uncertainty, Raine shifted nervously.

"For the most part, we never really used this set-up mode for the chairs whenever Botta or I had used the ship."

"I see why." Raine's eyelids dropped as she looked off to the side at his leg at her shoulder, then to his other leg on her other side. Her chair was just below and in front of his, the ship had re-arranged their chairs for them and now Raine was just below Yuan, but fairly close to him.

Yuan looked down at the back of her silver head absently, it felt interesting to have someone stationed in between his legs there, he couldn't exactly move much now, but he felt a slight consideration for Raine. The man wasn't exactly cruel towards women who he had become acquaintances with, but nor did he posses a particular desire to be nice. But it felt as though Raine was just begging to be helped.

She seemed so.... well, helpless there.

Yuan suppressed a strange, unwanted desire to shift himself forward more as Raine started settling more in her seat.

"...So, tell me again, how many hours?" Raine craned her neck back so that her head was resting back on part of his seat. Yuan found himself swallowing, hard, at the closeness of her face to his--

"Two, now."

"...I see."

"..." The corned of his mouth twitched slightly. "Focus on the screen." he hissed.

"Right, right, _Lord Yuan."_ Raine's alluring eyes narrowed as the met with Yuan's.

A bead of sweat rolled down his neck, Yuan shifted uncomfortably again and attempted re-positioning himself, moving backward a bit and clenching the steering wheel hard.

She put her head facing forward again and started monitoring the radar screen again.

xxxxx

Two hours later...

xxxxx

"Is that it?" Raine leaned forward and blinked as Yuan directed the sub towards a giant underwater dome, from this angle, Raine could see into part of it. Only but a large slab of glass revealed countless floors that were supposedly empty as far as she could see.

"Yes."

"...It's very big." Raine commented quietly, "but where would all of the artifacts be?"

"Well, it's actually more of a circular shape, it curves down under to complete the orb, below the seafloor."

"Ah!" Raine's eyes twinkled as she put her hands together. "It must be very strong, to be withstanding all of the pressure of the ocean this far down."

"It's not _that_ far down exactly, but yes.... it was build rather strong to fend off certain people, as was this sub."

"Like who?"

"I'm not sure." Yuan thought for a moment as he drove them up close to the dome, "It was built far before even my time, so before even Mithos, so it's purpose was unspecified. It was empty for the most part except for the book which was pretty far in." He paused again, there seemed to be something he was pondering over, "Though there was one room that we've never been able to get into." he said.

"Oh?" Raine's eyes lit up again, she was becoming anxious as to what she would be finding int he ruins. "Was there a code? A.... a specific task to be completed?"

"...." Yuan looked blank for another moment, "Well, I can't remember exactly, It felt as though my memory was damaged slightly as we left."

"Lost?" Raine blinked.

"You could say that." Yuan shrugged. " but we didn't think much of it."

"Maybe it's..." Raine trailed, as the sub traced the side of the bottom of the dome.

"Do you know something?"

"...No." A circular opening was apparent before them, it was sealed in a mechanical spiral of metal an had a narrow, rectangular slot above it.

"Here you send a blast of electricity into that slot." Yuan said, indicating the slot above the door.

"How?"

"I'll show you." Yuan set the sub into a more idle mode, so they were stationed in from of the entrance. He stood up suddenly and reached for the ceiling with both hands, feeling around for a split second before Raine heard a beeping noise.

After about two seconds, a pipe sprouted from the top of the sub and connected with the slot, Yuan looked around for a moment and found another vent that lead into the sub with them, to the end of it was an attached square panel.

"I send a focused charge through here and it will open the door." he explained, putting his hand flat against the panel.

The entire sub seemed to be filled with static, Raine could see tiny blue orbs of pulsing electricity emitted from the spikey-looking streams of glowing indigo spiralling around Yuan's hand. As the streams trailed his hand, they seemed like they were being fed to the panel at the end.

Not much longer afterwards, Raine could see the door in front of them open, the spiral of metal retracted back into the sides and left an opening of water for their sub to go into. It was like a large tunnel, that would eventually lead them to a surface of air.

"And I'm guessing that this leads to a stop similar to the one at the renegade base?"

"Yes." Yuan replied simply as he pulled in.

**XXXXX**

**Yeah! It's longer that the last one!**

**(Can't wait for school tomorrow, I get to take a MATH test!! YES!)**


	9. Chapter 9

**X X X**

"Up...up....te..."

"Hm?" Shadow's eyes lit up and she looked around the room full of teens hopefully. "What was...."

"Up.... Upd... upda..."

"Up?" She furrowed her brows as she listened.

"Update, Shadow.... _update_..."

"Ah!" She blinked, slamming her fist down on the desk in the middle of world history class, making the entire room silent, looking at her as she continued to speak. "You're RIGHT, **voice**! I should do just that!" she exclaimed obnoxiously. "Thank you! You always did have the wisest counsel!"

**X X X**

**No but seriously, thanks you guys for reviewing, it's more enthusing than some may say or think.**

**X X X**

**Monotonous Ballroom**

**X X X**

"....It's beautiful." Raine whispered.

"Yes, it is." Yuan could hear Raine's breath leave her in a fascinated rasp, he stared from the corner of his eyes with curiosity as she slowly became more and more intrigued with the area.

The ceiling was high, far untouchable and seemingly miles away, it was thick and misty marble, grey swirled with a pitch black and speckled with light blue, as if fish had been fossilized into the interior itself.

As she stared directly upward, she could see what must have been a large, distant circular opening where the waves shone lights over what must have been glass. along the sides she could see a somewhat thick ledge that spiraled up to the top, long enough from the wall to be walked on.

"..." Raine's lips parted, and Yuan waited for her to register everything, watching the delicateness that graced her features for but a moment.

"Where did the floors go?" Raine's eyes, suddenly struck with confusion, met with Yuan's. He averted the momentarily, registering her sudden attention on him.

"... A mirage perhaps." he suggested.

"..." Raine didn't seem to accept the answer, she glared back up at the ceiling and put a finger to her lips as she thought. It took her only a moment to start walking towards the ledge.

"Where are you going?" Yuan crossed his arms.

"This is walkable, is it not?" Raine turned around before the ledge started, where it merged with the ground. "It's this length from the wall the entire way up?"

Looking up at the ceiling before he replied, Yuan was careful to keep his eyes on her, "Yes."

"Then there should be no problem." She shrugged and faced away from him, starting to take a step.

Yuan almost _appeared _beside her, taking a step forward and seizing her forearm. "If you fall, it would be myself who pays. Last your _companians_ knew, you were with me."

-Stare-

Raine's eyes were unmoving, glued his own, she seemed to be thinking, evaluating his words.

"..." her eyes closed and she smiled. "Oh. Yes of course."

As Yuan released her arm, it remained there in midair where he had held it, she was frozen for about a moment. "Let's go, then." she cleared her throat and let her hand fall back to her side, she made a small wave for him to pass her.

"Ladies first." he narrowed his blue eyes under teal-cerulean strands of straight hair shifted to the left over his face. Yuan stepped back folding his arm forward, waving for her to continue.

xxxxx

"... Is it me or have we been pacing the same section of the stairs for the past ten minutes?" Raine furrowed her eyebrows and stopped, Yuan kept himself from bumping into her, taking a step back.

"...So you've noticed."

"You knew this would happen?" Raine turned around and leaned forward in irritation, her knuckles on her hip bones.

"I thought you should experience it first-hand. But.... I just remembered this, it didn't strike me before, oddly."

"..." Raine furrowed her eyebrows, she placed her hand on his face almost hesitantly, Yuan stood there in endurance, trying not to recoil as she moved it up to his forehead.

His face was warm, and heating up as she felt it.

The look in her eyes. concern. thoughtful, confusedly curious.

"I wasn't aware that you felt that way Yuan." Raine pulled her hand away with a light hum to herself.

"W-what are you talking about?" He glared.

"If you were sick, you should have said so in the first place, I wouldn't have been making you climb stairs."

_Oh god..._

Yuan thought to himself and sighed, "No, I think I'll be fine." He took her by the shoulders and turned her around, pressing her forward gently so that she would walk.

Passed them flashed a wall of blue space and time, as they walked, they could feel the wall surge through them, Yuan and Raine were surprised at this, Yuan kept his grip on Raine as they passed the barrier that was invisible before.

They walked through, and soon came to the end of it, stepping onto a level floor that was spacious and solid. Around them was another room, it was like a giant ballroom of faded pink and black with white. A walking space along the sides was lined with thick, columns that shadowed it.

"Oh!" Raine's eyes lit up and she pressed her hands together. "The _mirage _wasn't that it was, but rather that it wasn't there!" she clenched her fist and put it in her other hand. "...Or is it?" She slid a foot forward without putting any weight on it to feel the floor.

"....Yes, It seems it's really there."

"So it seems." Raine put a hand over her cheek in thought. "But what was it..." she turned to him with uncertainty. "That let us pass through....?"

"We'd best not ponder over it too much." Yuan trailed, stepping forward and into the room. "But maybe there was some sort of clue to us proceeding." he placed a hand over his mouth absently. "...Where are the stairs?" he looked around.

"That's strange, considering I had seen them going all the way up from the bottom floor." Pondering, now, over the same subject as Yuan. "I wonder what had happened to them..."

"Another mirage, I presume."

"Likely." Raine walked over to the wall again and started feeling around. "That's interesting, I can't feel any button or switch or..."

"The stairs from which we came are gone as well." Yuan noted stoically, one arm folded over his chest and the other bent up towards his face over his mouth as he thought.

Still now, as something struck her, "What kind of temple is this?" She suddenly asked.

"A ridiculously old one." Yuan replied sarcastically, turning from her and glancing over the room briefly again. "But it's called the temple of Lacuna. Apparently some goddess."

"So you don't know." Raine shook her head. "...And it has nothing to do with the chosen of mana, because if it did then-"

"We would have ended up coming here, which we didn't."

"Exactly, so what is it's purpose other than fending off 'Specific people'?" she quoted him.

"I'm not sure, I just know that it's never been visited or used by the 'angels' of our time."

"So not even by Mithos?" Raine asked, confused again, talking toward the back of Yuan's head.

"He was never informed of it, only Botta and myself have seen it, and we never even found a use for it. We... forgot about it's existence, that is... until it seemed to prove itself with some sort of relevance to our lives."

"Memory loss.... so then I'll likely lose mine when I leave?" Raine raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I've been wondering that ever since we first came."

"And how much of it?"

"..." Yuan looked over his shoulder at Raine. "I'm not certain, actually." a thought came across his mind that has to do with 'her not remembering' but he shook it away.

"..." Raine sighed in irritation with their lack of progress and looked around the room once more. There were there in a quietude, wordlessly taking in their surroundings. Past Yuan, Raine could see an open window where the waves caressed the dome with their light. He stood in the middle, silently, surrounded by the moonlight that swept the floor now. Yuan did nothing, and Raine knew he _wouldn't_ end up doing so unless it was relevant to their search.

That's actually what kind of irritated her about him the most.

Taking a disappointed breath, Raine rubbed her forehead and started pacing the walls. Her hand brushing along it behind her as she walked. Behind a column, Yuan found himself taking a step forward in concern as to where she was at all times, it nagged at him.

"..." He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, feeling something rile up in his chest that told him to instinctively follow.

"Yuan, look at this." Raine suddenly said, looking at something that was on the wall where she had stopped. Yuan quickly approached her and took a look at what she ad found.

"Wait-" he cut himself off as Raine pressed the button on a panel imbedded into the wall.

"My lady has returned, I shall format thine sequence."

"...What?" Raine put her hands on her hips, "who was talking just now?" she asked blankly, looking at Yuan.

"What are you talking about?" He looked at her like she was hearing things.

"The voice that projected just now."

"There was no voice." he sighed and shook his head, "The button didn't do anything, let's move on."

"But..." Raine narrowed her eyes in irritation, "you didn't hear it?"

"Obviously."

"..."

"Let's move on." Yuan walked passed her, his arms crossed as he strode along the walls as Raine was doing.

"..." Raine's lips parted in slight surprise as the button slid up and revealed a keyboard. "Oh, Yuan look."

"What now?"

".... I think I..." they were silent, Raine spoke no more as her hands lifted themselves and typed something into the keyboard, her fingers moved rapidly, like she knew it by heart, or like she had been trained to do so perfectly.

"What are you doing?" Yuan hissed, "do you know what that could-"

"Silence." Raine's voice came out in a brisk, melodic breath.

"?" Yuan glared, now, an irritation flushed through him, "you dare command me, woma--"

"I need not adress thine name, thou shalt silence thine self and stand aside." Her words in a hushed but loud whisper, clear, crisp. Commanding.

"..." Yuan blinked, "Raine--" He reached forward at her shoulder.

"Task complete," she stated, and turning immediately to grasp Yuan's hand tightly. "You heard my first demand, young one."

"...." He was confused now, a bit pissed, and superiority started to slip in.

"A-ah." Raine shook her head and her eyes seemed to light a bit, she blinked twice and looked, now, at Yuan in curiosity. "why are you---" she looked down at her hand that was grasped tightly around his wrist.

"Ow." she pulled har hand away, "why was I...?" she trailed, wringing her hand out off to the side.

"Last time I checked, I was the older one, the dominant one. Maybe you should learn to let me lead." he said simply in his Yuan-like tone that sometimes sent chills down one's spine.

"I ah... okay...?" Raine was at a loss for words momentarily, she stared up at him in a trance, and wondering where this was coming from.

His gaze was cold, and he looked at her in a way that made her want to step back.

She registered his agitation for something but in still mild bewilderment as to what it was for. She dismissed his attitude, though, as a slight rumbling could be heard but not felt, breifly. Raine stepped into the middle of the ballroom from behind a pillar and stared at the door on the other side of the room.

**XXXXX**


	10. Chapter 10

**Whoot! I can start doing the updating stuff again. Exams are OH-VAH!**

**xxxxx**

"A door." Yuan noted quietly from behind the professor with crossed arms. He was still only for a moment, he didn't want to wait for her decision and quickly took control. "Let's move on." he sighed, walking past her and casting a light breeze.

"..." Raine closed her eyes and followed.

xxxxx

"Interesting." Approaching the large, thick column in the center of the room with a computer keyboard and tall black screen above it embedded into the front surface of it, Raine brushed her fingers lightly over the keys.

"This time, you're going to scout. I'll look through whatever's on this computer and you explore, clear?"

"Fine." Raine replied simply and walked away from him, His pride's just damaged from something, I can tell, She thought.

Her eyes trailed the ceiling, tall like the last one, all of the rooms so far seemed to be circular. And so would the other ones, she was guessing.

The bookshelves that lined the wall all the way around reached the ceiling and all of the books were packed in tightly. Raine squinted up at it, "Yuan," she said in a mildly loud voice so that he could hear her. "What will the book look like?"

"It's by far the largest _real_ book that I've seen on spells yet... but maybe I'll be able to tell you where it is, because this system seems to have a tracking system on all of the books."

"Convenient."

"It is."

Raine waited, but continued to walk, tracing the side of the far wall away from the pillar slowly. "I wonder how high up this really goes." she wondered aloud, "... I could have sworn that there were far more than three or four floors here."

"There probably are... but if we find the book then there's no reason for us to venture further."

"Unless there's something we're not seeing."

"Unlikely, but I wouldn't doubt it_ too_ much."

"Yes." Raine agreed, pulling a book from it's place on the shelf and scanning over the title. "...." her eyes suddenly widened.

From his place in front of the keyboard and big screen, Yuan scrolled down the page and typed something again in what looked like a type of search bar. "... I see... Hey Raine. I think you should tell me what you think of this, I'd like your impu---"

"INCREDIBLE!!!"

"......." Yuan was silent for a long time, before finally muttering in mild confusion, "Raine?"

"This text is the lost one of the seven collections in the series on the after-war effects and at the time of the first few chosens of Mana!" Raine exclaimed, holding her face in amazement and immediately starting to open and scan through it.

"Raine, come here." Yuan sighed and typed the name of the book in the search bar before he stepped past the pillar so that he could see her. "I'm searching for the book now. But be careful because this place was built to fend off certain people, so I wouldn't mess around with things too much."

"..." Her blue eyes were so focused on him, as though she stared past him, or into him. Yuan paused, but regained his train of thought in a matter of seconds.

"I... I think you should look at the image given when the book comes up, I believe that a visual will be included with it's description and" His voice struggled to not trail into a low mumble or a flat, struck silence, "...genre."

"I see, thank you." Raine blinked her eyes into narrowing towards the ground. She was currently standing with the book she chose from the shelf in both hands.

"Of course."

"Let's l--"

**'ERROR, ERROR'**

Beeping loudly from the computer, making Raine jump, and Yuan grow wary with suspicion, a small, low siren started sounding from the computer and they circled around to the front to look and see what it was that caused it to make the sound.

"Ah, protection against intruders. Damn... that means we can't get any further in." Yuan rubbed his temples and took a step back. "I would say that I'd leave it to your new split personality but I'm not absolutely sure how reliable that it is."

"...What?" Raine blinked and quizically looked at Yuan.

**'NOW PREPARING FOR EXTERMINATION OF INTRUDER(S), SEQUENCE SET'**

"Yuan?" Ranie breathed, looking around as the room suddenly became dimmer. It dimmed into darkness and they looked around through it. Yuan could still see through it, and stood still, as he observed the flooring.

"Where are y--" he could hear her shifting through the darkness.

"Don't move, Raine." Yuan said suddenly.

Stopping dead in her tracks, Raine decided against disobeying him, because he had to know or see something.

Eyes like blades cutting through the darkness, he could see the floor moving, the tiles started moving to the side, certain, individual tiles would move under the others where a drop took place. As if they were waiting to be tripped on, to be fallen into.

"...That's obvious for me, but... wait." Yuan mumbled, squinting and trying to see down into one of the holes without moving, he looked, once again around the room, and heard a tension-building creak that sent a distinct chill up his spine.

"..." The seraph looked up, towards the direction he heard the noise from.

"Raine!" he shouted suddenly, the loud noise of his voice barking at her made her stumble backwards. Yuan lunged forward and grabbed her shoulders, his arms folded over her back, he pushed both of them forward into one of the holes as, all at once and in a swift motion, the entire ceiling collapsed in a heartbeat and crashed violently into the floor which was now above them.

"Ah!" Raine shreiking momentarily but was slightly reassured being held tightly by him.

They fell into something even the angel couldn't see. Yuan's eyes darted about through the darkness, he released his wings and caught them in midair, that single light allowed him to see downward. As if before, particles of light simply didn't exist. His wings caught on the air and brought them to level, so now they no longer moved.

Which wouldn't be surprising considering they were down so far.

"Wh-what just happed?" Raine whispered.

"A trap triggered itself, it thought that we were intruders, thieves."

"....But now that I think about it, aren't we?"

Yuan nodded, but realized Raine couldn't really see him. "Yes, basically." he agreed. "Which is what confuses me, why is it being deffensive now?"

"I'm not sure," Raine wondered. "Maybe It's because we're a certain level in. Something that it doesn't want us to take."

"... I'm going to have to land eventually."

"I know."

Silence, they stood there in the blank lacuna, it came close to being awkward, but they were moreso concerned for their lives and what would happen to them next.

Down, Yuan slowly brought them, he watched carefully, examining both Raine's blind, confused-looking face and the quiet, empty flooring he could see below. He looked around, and the walls were closer in than the other room.

Raine breathed with ease at him landing, she could feel the steady, flat surface below his feet halt them in the air.

"I think that there won't be much trouble here, it was a pretty far drop. This room is empty, but front the looks of the room, I don't think it was designed for people to get out."

"They expected us to have died." Which I would have without you there, she thought.

"I believe so." Yuan released Raine with one arm, his other securely around her lower back so that she would be supported as her feet shakily found the ground, they shifted around, trying to feel for a flat surface.

Her arms, however, remained wrapped tightly around the back of his neck. She still couldn't see really.

"....I'm just going to guess that you want to be lead to somewhere secure before you're sure we're not going to fall through another hole."

"Y-yeah, that's it." Raine laughed almost nervously, removing her arms and finding his with trailing hands. She looped her forearm through Yuan's at his elbow and held on securely. Yuan's other hand crossed over and held her hand in place.

Swallowing as they started to walk, Yuan relaxed a little against the warmth her hands gave off. He let her cling, not minding much, he tightened his grip slightly, or adjusted it to be more firm.

The professor let herself be led by the seraph, he seemed so tall, so firm, stiff, ancient, professional. His long hair pulled back like the old-fashioned style, it still floated behind him as he walked.

This, she would admit, wasn't the first time she found herself incredibly intrigued with them. Yuan and Kratos, Remiel and Mithos or... rather, Yggdrasil. They've lived for so long, and contained knowledge from so far back...

Raine knew that there was a certain level of maturity and mutual, self contentment that almost everyone reached, Yggdrasil for example still contained mental illness and couldn't supress it himself regardless of the infinite time he was supplied with to do so, but either way, they remain so active, so animated, yet ancient, old, with those cold, striking war-ridden eyes. Yuan was....

...She couldn't put an exact word to him. You couldn't put anything to him, there's no real way to describe him effectively, because he's so different.

She wanted to know how much he knew, how much he thought, what he thought,

'_everything':_ it was becoming. 'Every' thought that went through his head, _how_ he thought, the way he processed his...

"..." Yuan cleared his throat, having taken note of her staring at his face with intense thought, he decided to leave himself the conclusion that it was only because there was nothing else to look at.

Besides his wings of course, he was leading her through complete darkness.

"Oh, sorry. You're just..." Raine trailed, blinking and shaking her head once to re-gather her thoughts, having gotten lost in them.

"Hm?"

"...Nothing."

"A wall." Yuan said simply, "I'm sure you want to rest against it for reassurance."

"Well, considering the fact that we just fell a couple dozen or maybe even a hundred feet, I _am, _yes, in slight need of reassurance of floor stability."

"...." Yuan almost laughed at the fact that she was scared by the darkness. "Of all the things to be scared of, you chose darkness and water, you're not even scared of me, you hardly obey my commands."

"I-I'm not afraid of the dar--- wait, why should I be obeying you?"

"I posess more experienced judgement over things." He said.

"Experienced..." Raine repeated, "In war-making decisions, after all those years of battle."

"Exactly."

"Years of battle and solitude, under the rule of a man who wasn't even close to sane."

"..."

"Just you, and a few other ignorant followers who wouldn't change their views, not even for thousands of years, together perfecting one thing. Fighting and keeping a poker face. And yet Lloyd and the rest of us came to better, more reasonable decisions that worked a lot better and brought peace to everyone."

"Reckless, very reckless decisions." Yuan reached a little further up and grabbed her wrist. He brought it forward and touched her fingertips to the cold wall.

"That saved even you..." Raine found herself turning and sinking to the ground against the wall. "I think that I'm capable of making _some _decisions considering we saved all of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla both, or... Lloyd did. He should get the credit for almost everything, talking everyone into a healthy mind-set... stopping fighting... helping everywhere he is."

"... I _should_ thank him." Yuan admitted. He took a step forward and leaned against the wall nearby. He breathed in the empty air that drifted around the room. There were no doors and he couldn't see the ceiling.

"So, you're tired?"

"People tend to get that way."

"I see, You shouldn't strain yourself." Yuan attempted to keep his chin up and his voice solid, glancing down at her before scanning the room again. He felt weird, awkward, different, he was actually considering what she felt. His soldiers usually just pushed themselves to rediculous lengths regardless because they were afraid of him.

And he liked it that way. But now, it would be senseless if Raine collapsed. Then it would be slightly harder to move along. He'd find himself stopping and caring for her because there wouldn't be any medics.

"Nh...." Raine closed her eyes and pressed her palm to her neck.

"Are you okay?" Yuan immediately fell to his knees and started examining her. A moment later, he mentally slapped himself for letting himself get so worked up.

"I'm a little sore around my head, like something rushed in and out of it. But I'm mostly fine, it feels minor."

"I don't think it would be that good of an idea for you to stay here long, you have nothing to really lay on."

"Hm..." Raine leaned forward from the wall and started unlatching the front of her orange coat. She pulled it from her shoulders and folded it. She set it down to her left where Yuan stood inches from her 'pillow' and lowered herself over onto it.

"It's still to thin." Yuan said simply. He stripped himself of his own upper clothing and draped it over her. He reached down and took her head in his hands, surprising her to a... degree... and lifting her head up into his lap.

"You should have more elevation, or that sore spot will only get worse."

"I-I see." Raine tried to keep herself from stuttering, taking another calming breath and closing her eyes. Letting the calmness in the air sooth her nerves. She took advantage of the silence, the darkness, the stillness, and became mentally balanced.

She could focus, with nothing to listen to but Yuan's occassional breathing, (As if he keeps forgetting to) and quickly let the unconsciousness overcome her fading mind.

"..."

**xxx**

**Okay, I think I ended that well enough. G-night.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**xxxxxxx**

"..." Raine hummed a quiet sigh in her sleep, shifting and getting even more comfortable by bringing in her arms and legs.

He was as still as physically possible, Yuan tried not to move under her head which was in her lap. He found himself becoming rather uncomfortable upon her head shifting against him, so far in, her face inches from his-- "ugh..." Yuan breathed, finally moving to reach up and rub his face.

He could bare it, but... he also could tell for himself that it was getting chillier, he looked down at Raine and could see small goosebumps on her neck.

"Mh..." Raine had crossed her arms over her chest and snuggled her face into whatever she was laying on at the moment.

Yuan's (cough cough)_ area._

_"Ah..." _Yuan gritted his teeth. Why did he let her fall asleep on him? A moment went by, he already knew why. It felt a bit weird for her to be there, but he, honestly, didn't even care. It was as if... deep down it felt like he kind of liked it.

Another moment went by, and he was getting anxious, almost bored but a little content he had something to look at and examine.

...Yes, constantly.

"..." Yuan reached down and put his hand over her neck softly. He brushed his thumb over the cool surface. She _was_ getting cold. He felt the areas of skin where the bumps were raised. And distinct concern filled him.

He couldn't even see in himself that he was more concerned for her than he should be. But regardless, he put another hand down by her chest to grab her hands.

"Damn it." Yuan found himself irritated now. Why didn't she bring warmer clothing? Now he's going to have to take more of his clothes off to--

Her cool, clear and melodic voice cut through the silence, "Is everything okay, Yuan?" he could hear her speak, now, which startled him.

Raine didn't even realize that his hands were on her's and her neck for warmth. She was just... obviously comfortable.

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "The room is getting colder. I think we should find a way out of here."

"I think so too." she admitted, leaning away from Yuan and stretching her arms high above her head with a small hum of a sigh.

"..." The arched point of her back drew his attention for some reason, he blinked at the realization for what that meant and averted his eyes with a small, discomforted "Hn..."

"Let's go then." The professor stood and brushed off her outfit, holding onto the coat of Yuan's that stayed on her shoulders. Yuan rose to his feet beside her. She had been sleeping a long time. He wouldn't say _days _or hours upon hours, exactly, but she looked more tired than she should have been. And with that in mind only ended up sleeping for five hours.... which worried him a bit, she looked rested, which would completely throw off his understanding of the human/elven body.

Unless he had...

"Hm... I wonder." he asked aloud. Raine moved her head a little to the side to look him in the eyes, listening. "Did I wake you up?"

"N-no." An immediate rush of red washed over her face. "I just... I had a weird dream about this place we're in and an... interesting woman."

"...Do you think I would consider it relevant?"

"No not really." Raine pondered for a moment, her eyes downcast as she tapped her finger against her lips, "...But it's a bit embarrassing, so I'd rather not talk about it to be honest."

"Fine." Yuan replied plainly. But the innermost part of him wanted to know what she was thinking. His stern, cerulean eyes scanned her over, and over.

Having stood there in silence with a four-thousand-year old stud staring you up and down in almost complete darkness except for a bluish light that was coming from his back, Raine was a little nervous. She could still see his eyes, they were lit by the gleam of his wings. All of the light seemed to gather in them and cause a glowing effect. It was intriguing...

"I'm sorry." Raine said suddenly, "But are your eyes always like that? Do they naturally hold the light of your own wings and cause a reflective glowing effect or is it just the abnormal structure of the--" Raine found herself ranting. She was interested at that moment, incredibly so.

Yuan was easily keeping up with what she was saying, he just didn't exactly care. But his blank, uninterested character inclined into slightly piqued. He was wondering why she looked so absent, her voice had fallen into silence. And now she was closer to him. Examining him adjacently.

Calm. He decided to say something.

"Yes, Raine. My eyes do just naturally absorb light, but light from the wings will most likely make a stronger time limit because of---"

"State thine name."

Quietude swept the two moreso than before. On top of the dead air that previously filled the stillness around them.

"Excuse me?"

"Tell me. You are a half-elf, art thou not? State thine name."

"And why should I tell you anything?" He got it now. Raine had changed again. The same force as before he took it, That posessed her.

She was quiet, all in one second, she was obvious comtemplating something, but in doing so let her scrutinizing eyes study him. She gave a considering look, and something changed about her face, the way she looked at him.

"Because I would expect you have respect for your elders." her voice was more of a rasp, but it was so crisp. He could almost say that she was seductively speaking. "I am the owner of this Shrine."

"An underwater shrine. So that_ is _what it is." Yuan knew now, she had been evaluating his speaking. Her voice had changed. "This is devoted to you, I presume?"

"I was the Goddess here. This is the tomb site of the last incarnate. She is buried deep within the stone. Crystallized, her life drained upon creating this very dome. But now I can only posess through advocation." Raine's possessed body explained. "A woman has never stepped foot in this place. So I have never done an advocation ever since I have released my soul after my first incarnation."

"Are you planning on inheriting Raine's body?" he inquired, motioning down at her.

"...No. My time grows thin in this body. It will take much time for me to be able to do so once more." She said. "The purpose that has haunted me since back then. My first.... has left, a second never to come, tales of mind and heart weeping as they remain untold. Untouched. Unreached, time bound me away." The goddess had eyes of an unnaturally bright sea, and they looked as though they had gathered all the blue of the sky in a mesmerizing swirl.

She stared up at Yuan, and now reached up to hover her fingers before his cheek.

"But into this one, I shall not strive for my own. Though the other's heart calls. A heart is required, and you must attain. Or progression fails. And entrapment will soon engulf you, further into the shrine as you head towards that in which you seek, which is known by the temple, and thus drawn away." She pulled her fingers away from his face, and stepped back, leaving a large gap between them. "My will is left within her now."

The Goddess Lacuna held her hands out in front of her and her eyes drifted shut. Between her arms, as her head tilted back, shone a dim light. Yuan narrowed his eyes upon the direct light that shone upon them. He could see, however, a globe-like structure. As he looked closer it was rippled like hushed waves before him. It illuminated vague silver and blue lights and he could see that something appeared to be growing inside.

It grew larger, and once it came to a larger size, Yuan could make out the figure of it. The sphere of water grew as well, and the goddess, with her feet still planted to the ground leaned backwards, but flat as a board. Held up from falling by some unknown force.

"The book." He glared. And slightly agitated, he reached forward. She knew how to achieve it for them? And yet--

"Not yet." In a swift movement the ball crystallized and as the tips of Yuan's fingers slid down the warm surface, the book dissapeared within it.

"I shall give you a clue. Yuan."

_'Since when did she know my name?' _Yuan thought to himself.

"Only through physical contact does momentary spellbreak of the temple and progression take place. But through to the end, more may be required. The pulse of a heartbeat can dislodge the--" She cut herself off, and Raine blinked her eyes back to normal.

Her voice echoed, "but time is limited. Remember the task ahead. And the tasks around, above the surface."

"Watch out." Yuan seen her falling, no longer held up by the unknown force. He stepped forward and around her, catching Raine's lower back with his forearm and reaching for the crystal ball with his other.

It, like a ghost, slipped right through his hand, which should have caught it. It fell down to the ground and he could see it fall into and merge with it.

"...Interesting." Yuan noted, holding Raine firmly to the ground by the hips as she steadied herself.

"What just happened?" She rubbed at her cheek momentarily before speaking again. "This time I know I blanked out."

"You did. I'll explain what happened after I think of how to leave this area. It's a grave."

"A grave?" Raine repeated, blinking but now suddenly incredibly interested. "Incredible!" she opened her mouth to go on a further rant but Yuan reached over and grabbed her jaw softly. He pressed his thumb over her lips to make a point. No ranting or trying to study the tombs in the dark while he was trying to get them out.

"As I thought." Yuan let Raine go, crossing his arms and thinking. "Before, you had been posessed by something." he said.

"..." Raine didn't know what to say at first, she conprehended what he meant and thenreturned to normal thinking pace. "I was posessed? By what?"

"The Goddess Lacuna." Yuan said. "She gave me this riddle about the temple, We should go over it a few times, and I'll see what I can get out of it."

"..." Raine was silent, she was even more curious than before, now.

xxxxxxx

"Stop." Raine held her hand up for Yuan to pause. "There. Again, I believe she must have meant that ever since her first incarnation has left. There's no-one else who it could have been."

"Perhaps, but we don't know that for sure."

"Exactly.... but also, The other part is what's confusing. She spoke of..."

"A heart is required, and you must obtain." Yuan quoted.

"...." Raine seemed to be a bit amuded by her own oncoming thoughts. "Perhaps she meant you should have more of a heart."

Yuan denied that, "Or maybe she just meant some sort of monument or statue or object." he countered.

"Yes, that's more likely." Raine agreed. folding one arm across her chest for her elbow to rest at, her forearm pointed up at her face, where her hand stood at her chin. She thought and reevaluated the words over and over again in her mind.

"And the last part--" Yuan started.

"Must mean that whatever it is that we're looking for will be further drawn away if we don't play by her rules. Anything that we want will be found out by the very being of the temple, the fact that we are within it tells it what we're thinking."

"So if we decide we want something from this place, it will lead us on a wild goose chase until we do what it wants."

"Yes." Raine agreed. "That's a pretty interesting function of a temple."

"Yes, but I'm not entirely surprised, the constant mirages and traps here are getting predictable."

"...." The professor silent, she glanced around the room and found herself shivering again. "So how, again, did you say we were getting out of here?"

"Hm..." Yuan crossed his arms, seeming conflicted about something. "I don't quite understand. She said that only through physical contact does momentary spellbreak of the temple and progression take place." He repeated the line fluently to himself. thinking more.

It took a moment, but he finally turned to Raine, lifting his hand to her face again, in the same position as when he had silenced her earlier. Raine was unmoving against the contact. She tried to avoid moving her lips, but was finding herself anxious towards what he had in mind, and towards what, exactly, he was doing now.

"Yuan?" She couldn't help it.

"Hold on." He kept his hand firmly around her jaw, but softly. He was waiting for--

Raine drew a surprised breath as a rumbling shook the air around them. Raine looked around to sight the source, and a line of light shone distantly, horizontally with the ground. That line of light thickened upward, and soon releaved a tall patch of light against a newly visible wall.

"That was your plan?" Raine quirked an eyebrow in question.

"I thought that it might work." Yuan dropped his hand from her face, and looked over to the door in mild satisfaction.

**xxxxx**

**Long enough? Sorry for the wait. I did the math and... I actually have do do like, six chapters of my geometry this month rather than the previously thought 4 chapters. I have to if I wanna test out. Which I do. So I'm really sorry If I end up taking a while to like... update.**

**But like I said. I still have a bit more time than before. So it's okay, I'll do so as frequently as possible.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**xxxxx**

"It's... a diner?" Raine was surprised.

"Yeah, but I doubt there's any food here... It's been quite a long time. Now that I think about it, didn't you bring something? You must be hungry by now." Yuan said, motioning to the bag around her shoulders.

"Oh... I did." Raine admitted, she reached in an pulled out an apple. "We could eat this on the way out of here." eyes scanning across the tall ceiling of the place, she examined the chandeliers and blue-on-white patterns that speckled across the top. Before them in the carpeted room, the only room with a carpet so far, Raine noticed, were a couple dozen of spread out tables. Each was with a black tablecloth and was set with white placemats and plates, beside a set of silverwear on folded napkins.

Every table was set out perfectly, as if fully ready to serve someone. Everything was well-dusted, as if somehow someone had cleaned everything every day.

But then again, there had been absolutely no-one here, ever. So there was no dust to collect, considering the origin of dust has to do with people in the first place.

**xxxxx**

**Finally, back with the Lloyd gang. (sters. hah.... _'' yeahhh haha, nvrmnd.)**

**xxxxx**

"We're almost to the part by the water, Lloyd!" Colette giggled, as they walked through the corridors of Volt's temple. They came to an opening where a drop before a large floor filled with water stood still.

"Okay, who's going in to get it?" Lloyd turned to his group. "Any volunteers before I do it my--"

"Ooh!" Zelos raised his hand, but Lloyd checked again, upon seeing he was just pointing at Sheena. "I volunteer Sheena to get wet." His face became immediately stern and serious. He had a dead-intent look on his face. "She should, first... take off all of her clothes."

"Whah--" Sheena spun around to glare at him. "What?! NO!"

"Who votes for Sheena." Zelos looked into her eyes with a solemn stare, he put up his hand and waited for a vote.

"Ooh, I wannt raise my hand!" Colette put two hands in the air, in supposed agreement with Zelos.

"If Colette thinks so..." Genis shrugged, raising his hand as well.

"Oh." Lloyd blinked, scanning over the crowd. "Well, people are voting for you to, so here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle.

"Oh come on!" Sheena turned to point at Lloyd, poking her finger into his chest, "That was NOT fair!"

"Y-You don't _really_ have to take any clothes off, Sheena." Lloyd swallowed, he couldn't help but admit to himself he somewhat wanted to see her in nothing but that white, short, thinner kimono that she wore under her clothes... waist deep in liquid.

Oh yeah. Soaking... wet.

Lloyd mentally slapped himself. He simply decided to prevent further thoughts like that from entering his mind.

"But you know it wouldn't hurt to take something off and dance aro--" Zelos was sharply cut off.

"NO." Sheena glared. "Look, we came here for the 'special' water from Volts temple and nothing more. Not a strip show, not me performing some weird dance while I'm wet in the water." She said sternly to Zelos. "OKAY?!" Her eyes turned fierce, and she leaned towards Zelos with intimidation. "So **don't** ask again!"

"..."

"...."

"..."

"But couldn't you just--"

-WHH-TSH!!-

xxxxxxxx

"Hm... It just got a bit darker in here." Raine narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she glanced around the room for another exit. "Don't you think?" she looked at Yuan as she nibbled on part of an apple.

"I suppose." Yuan trailed, also looking around. "..." he crossed his arms as he sighted a door at the far, opposite end of the room. "There." he pointed with his eyes, and Raine followed his gaze and sighted the door.

"Ah, of course." she said upon seeing it. "Let's move on."

"Indeed." He took a step forward before hearing a noise, a slow shifting sound that caught his attention immediately. "What was that noise?" he asked himself quietly as they started walking. It was like... something was dragging, stopping, then continuing again. over and over.

"I don't hear anything..." Raine trailed, but acknowledged that he could hear so many more things that she couldn't. She started looking behind them into the empty doorway from where they had come in. Nothing was there, but she admitted, she was getting a bad feeling, like... fear trickling up her spine for no particular reason, she was becoming insecure, like they were being watched.

Raine repeated it quietly to herself. "Watched..." The word seemed to feel like... a jynx. Now she felt even worse about it. It seemed like the feeling was real now.

About halfway through the room, Yuan opens his mouth, "I sense something, but it's hard to put a finger on what it might be." he said suddenly, as they slowly, gradually drew closer to the door. "I think we should hurry. We might end up locked in here."

Shrugging off the trembles that shook her spine, Raine tried to brighten her own mood, she lifted up her chin and scanned the ceiling. She couldn't figure out why she was so down at a time like this, it was such a rare opportunity to be first-hand exporing such a place as a shrine devoted to an unknown goddess.

It was so incredibly fascinating that it existed under such pressures for so long without collapse and that it's still equipped with technology such as that.

The door was about a foot from them, when Raine started being able to hear the sound as well. "...?" She stopped, and Yuan could hear her footsteps cease. So he turned to face her.

"Is something wrong?"

"I think I know what you meant, possibly." Raine put her hand folded over her chin in thought. "I'm hearing a--"

"--!" Yuan motioned for her to stop talking, making a line motion with his hand over his neck.

"..." Raine blinked and looked around the room, she could see something. It looked like a type of blob at first. Except it was twitching and dragging itself forward between the tables by some sort of limb. A newly formed trail of slimy liquid from the door they just came out of told them where the thing came from.

Raine was taking steps back, she couldn't tell if she was supposed to be fighting the thing or not. If it was hostile. But it certainly was disturbing, and even as the thing (yes, thing) drew closer, she could make out different details in it's body, it was kind of like....legs. A mass of spider legs, but none of them seemed to be working or moving. Rather, it was pulling itself at them blindly using only...

"Is that a tongue?" Raine grimaced slightly. Crossing her arms.

Yuan cringed upon hearing her voice, rushing forward at her and grabbing her arm. "Damn it! It's obviously blind." he said, "But it heard us and it coming over quickly. Be prepared." Raine couldn't exactly tell how he did it, but she didn't even see him grab for his blade before it was in front of him in battle-ready position.

She brought her staff to the front as it actually lunged forward at her. It seemed to flip in the air once as it clashed against her staff. She offensively knocked the monster back with a soft grunt and a lung forward to slash it in the side.

They now knew. The thing was most definitely out to hurt them. Or maybe it was just incredibly attracted to Raine but that was doubted.

A hissing sound made her uneasy. The thing was motionless for only a second before jumping forward again.

"Raine. Your staff!"

Now able to feel a heating under her palms, Raine looked down, her staff was bending in her hands. It was also tinged a reddish color rather than the pearly silver that it was supposed to be. Like it was...

"Ow!" it suddenly became very hot and Raine dropped it immediately, She was knocked backwards by the monster's tackle and fell backwards on her back, she slid by Yuan's feet and his eyes were wide as she groaned, struggling to get up. This weird.. foreign concern-like-thing started washing through him.

"Damn it, Raine!" Yuan chanted a quick spell and cast lightning blade upon the enemy in a matter of seconds before it had a chance to strike again. The monster seemed to be momentarily phased, like it was paralyzed. Yuan took that opportunity to fall to Raine's side and grab her by the arms. He lifted her up, draping her on his right shoulder securely with one arm while holding his sword in his left.

Passing through the doorway, he was relieved that it closed behind them as he started up an immediate set of stairs in a narrow hallway that lead straight up to another door. It seemed so far away even with his strength and stamina. Why was it such a ridiculously long hallway? Of course Yuan could see the door because it was going straight up and he had angelic vision. But it was far enough so that Raine wouldn't be able to see it.

But knowing how far away that really was, he was getting anxious. Glancing behind them once with uncertainty. Half-expecting something else to chase them out of the blue again. He was starting to wonder what that monster was. How could it have lived here for so long and still be alive? Another machine perhaps?

--Thrump--

Yuan, with gritting teeth, looked behind them again and watched in pure irritation as long spikes started pointing out of the wall. He wasn't surprised when full-on death-spikes emerged and the wall shifted. It started grinding against the stairs as it sliding up them, slowly at first.

"Ngh--" Yuan used his wings to lift himself upward and bring his feet away from the stairs which flattened themselves out and proved easier for the spiked wall to catch up to them. If he had been running still, he would have slid down, otherwise, it still would have proved difficult to run up.

"Y-yuan..." Raine groaned, trying to keep herself awake, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in the back of her head.

"Just let me carry you for now, It would just be much easier that way." he commanded, and Raine fell silent. She happened to bring her eyes up and catch a glimpse of a rushing wall of enormous thorns sliding straight up at them.

"AHH!" Raine shrieked, flinching and fisting the cloth at Yuan's back. "G-go faster, damnit!!" she urged. And Yuan grumbled in return.

"I would gladly oblige but I am going as fast as I can at the moment."

"It-it's catching up!!!" She squealed. "Fly faster!"

Sighing and picking up his pace by a bit, Yuan leaned into his flight as he headed faster towards the end of the stairway.

"We... have a problem." He said.

"What?!"

"Door's shut."

"WHY are you so calm about this?!" Raine pounded an ineffective fist into his back with frustration, as he quickly landed them before the shut door. There was no lever or anything.

Oh dear. What to do. Yeah, they had a good.... about ten to fifteen seconds to think it through before the wall would crash down upon their skulls.

Yuan's eyes darted about quickly, but they soon-after halted and lit up, he suddenly recalled what the Goddess had said to him. He quickly reached for Raine's wrists and under her sleeves so they were actually touching directly.

He pushed her forward against the wall behind them so that their chests were closer, but still about a foot apart. Not quite touching yet, but close. His head was next to hers with his forehead on the wall, Yuan braced himself for impact in case this didn't work, bowing his head which hovered over her shoulder.

"..." Raine was silent, peering down the stairs where the wall retracted and slid back down towards the other door.

"..." Yuan was silent as well, examining how physical contact kept them from getting killed. He pulled away and coughed, still inching backwards.

"Thank you." Raine sighed in relief, sliding down the wall, rubbing her forehead. "For saving me. I..." she blinked at the floor before looking up at Yuan who boldly stared her in the eyes. Wow, eye contact with him really makes people's minds scatter.

"Thanking me is unnecessary." he stated. Giving his attention to the door before them. "It's still not open." he grumbled, crossing his arms in irritation.

"Well ah..." Raine trailed from the floor. "I'm guessing we should try for longer." She rubbed her arm as she brainstormed.

"..." Yuan pressed his lips firmly together, Raine already knew that there was only so much physical contact that he could take.

"It's fine." Raine stood, brushing off her coat once, glancing back at the wall that started going back into the ceiling down at the bottom of the stairs. "...It doesn't seem to be coming back again." She thought aloud. "So we could always wait around for if that monster decides to make it's way up after us."

Yuan grumbled something incoherent, looking down the stairs as well. She didn't have a weapon anymore, so he would have to worry about protecting her as well, (she _is_ necessary if he wants to 'proceed' in the temple after all.) But if he used long-range magic it should be fine. But then again... what if it absorbed magic? It didn't die or.. fry or turn black, it just looked slightly phased.

Maybe not... but it definitely dissolves weapons. Which isn't something he wants to happen to his blade...

"Fine. But only because I have wishes for preserving the rest of my renegades. There is still a chance that he's slaughtering them as we speak, and I have to deal with the ridiculous riddle created the Goddess here."

"... Ridiculous, huh." Raine shrugged. "I don't exactly feel an opinion for it." she said. "..." then furrowing her eyebrows. "Strange, it's as if I _can't_ feel anything at all." she crossed her arms, thinking.

"She said something along the lines of 'my will is with her' or something. So perhaps there are some things that she controls your feelings towards."

"It's possible." Raine hummed, "But.... still."

"Regardless, come here."

"?" She looked over at him, he looked a little ticked. But she ignored the expression. "Are you finished catching your breath _already_?" She teased.

Narrow eyes penetrated her soul. So she decided to go along with him for the moment.

Saying nothing while she drew closer, Yuan uncrossed his arms to reach in and grab her upper arms. The look she gave him was sort of like a pout, partial glare.

"...?" She raised an eyebrow. Raine waited for him to actually make contact.

"Hmph." Yuan scoffed, bringing his hands down to her forearms, then further to her wrists. Raine almost pulled away at the light, chilling contact. It sent a tingling feeling up her back, it was strange his touch did that.

"..." Yuan stood there with Raine silently. They waited for something to slide open... and finally after about a minute of what felt like pointless contact, it actually did slide open.

"I see. That really does prove it then." Raine sighed, waiting for Yuan to let go. "But... I have to wonder what _our _contact has to do with the temple itself."

"Well.." Yuan said, releasing her wrists awkwardly and proceeding through the door. "The temple seems to be almost registered with the Goddess's train of thought. So if she was always bent on physical contact with someone else who might have been here, and because she said her will was with you, you might have something to do with."

"So because of her, I supposedly play the role of someone who wants constant physical contact with..."

"Guessing from context, It may be referring to myself."

"Yes, I was thinking that as well." They walked into the next room and looked around.

"...Well _this _certainly looks familiar." Yuan sounded a little ticked off again.

"Hm..." Raine looked around, and indeed, it was.

"It lead us straight back to the original room... I'm guessing we're going to have to go through that process again."

"Yes..." Raine bit her lip, thinking about how they're supposed to proceed.

**XXXXXXXX**

**(Referring, below, to the line where Raine's making fun of Yuan's contact-a-phobia) "finished catching your breath alREADY?!" whoa--  
**

**hahaha... "penetrated!" Raine just got penetrated! lolz (Yeah, just ignore my immature sophomore comments here.**)


	13. Chapter 13

**whoa-**

Shadow stumbles forward and grabs her head. "That was weird..." she turned and looked behind her at a closing black hole. "What the...?" she turned around in confusion. "Where was.... I-- OH NO!" she runs forward as a calendar was revealed on the wall before her. "I was captured a_gain_!" She punched at the wall in irritation, burning a hole in the date with her eyes. "DAMN IT, time/ space continuum!"

"Wait..." she fell silent and glanced over to the Dell Computer on the other side of the room on a dark-wood desk. ".... There is something I must do."

**xxxupdatexxxxxtimexxx  
**

"Are you ready to go all the way up again?" Yuan stepped forward at Raine, his arms crossed, examining her state with his full attention.

"Um-" Raine blinked, a bit confused as to why he was so attentive to her. "I'm fine. We should move on."

"Are you _sure_." he pressed, "You're now unarmed. So perhaps you..."

"Oh I see." Raine narrowed her eyes, "You think I can't defend myself because I have nothing to channel magic through or bash things with?"

"Well, that's obviously putting you at a disadvantage."

"Well, considering something I've done already... before one of the last battles and Zelos ended up freeing us, I was **fully** prepared for death. I was more than willing to sacrifice myself for a better cause. What makes you think that I'm afraid of anything that could kill me now?"

"..." Yuan looked uncomfortable at the thought of something based on what she had said. "Well if _that_ doesn't give someone something to worry or be cautious about..."

"Oh, so you're worried?" Raine quirked an eyebrow.

"Fine, let's move on then since you insist so." Yuan hastily turned from the Sage Professor and started walking. She couldn't see the slight flushing high on his cheeks, he covered his face with one hand in attempt to make it go away.

"Hm." Raine sighed quietly. She couldn't even tell what it was. Something in her wanted him to be at least.. a_ little_ worried, right?

**xxxlloydiextimexxx**

"Wow. I'm really starting to appreciate having reihards now that I actually know what it's like to walk every damned place." Zelos shouted over the air current to the others. He sat behind Presea to "securely hold her from behind' as they flew. Lloyd sat with Sheena and Genis sat with Colette, the only repaired reihards were those three.

"Oh, it's Flanoir!"Colette squealed and pointed, letting go of the steering wheel.

...why was she even driving?

"Yes! Now we can get the next thing on the list." Lloyd laughed, happy with their progress.

"Lloyd, do you even know what that is?" Genis's eyes narrowed, a bit amused with his best friend.

"Uh--" He cut himself off, pausing a bit before smirking and putting his fingers in an L to the bridge of his nose and forehead in pose. "Well of course." he said.

"Uh-huh." Sheena gave him a skeptical look from behind.

"I do-- It's that Suns-uh-eye... stuff."

"No." Genis sighed.

"We had gathered Celsius's Tear after having gathered penguinist quills to bring to a man who made us penquinist gloves which automatically allowed us to proceed with making physical contact with the substance." Presea recited from sheer memory alone.

"Ah-right." Lloyd nodded. "I-I knew that, I was just testing you guys." They landed the reihards near the temple safely in snow banks.

"Let's go!" Lloyd lifted his fist in a charge motion.

"..." Everyone stared at him.

"Wh-what?"

"Lloyd, you were about to lead us directly into battle." Sheena coughed.

"Wh.." he trailed, turning his head and seeing penguinists guarding the entrance, pacing around. "I-I knew that too!" -pause- "I was just making sure that you guys were paying attention or that would have been a disaster."

"Oh! Thanks Lloyd!" Colette chirped, smiling and clapping happily.

Stepping forward and putting an arm around her shoulder, Zelos pulled slightly to bring her away from Lloyd. "Colette. You shouldn't hang around this horrible person too long. His irresponsibility will rub off on you." he smiled and looked up to the sky.

"Next time," he drew himself closer and whispered in her ear in a low voice, "You should sleep by me for protection."

"No!" everyone said simultaneously.

"Okay!"

Colette's words had sounded at the same time as theirs, but she looked around at their stares of disbelief. "Um.. I mean uh..." She looked confused, blinking at them. Wondering if she had chosen the incorrect answer to Zelos's question.

-WHACK!

"Ow!" Zelos held his head, letting go of Colette as Lloyd guided her into the temple.

**xxxxx**

"Okay, this is the library." Raine sighed. "We're finally here again." She hesitated, looking at Yuan. "Maybe I should type into the keyboard. Maybe the goddess will give us some aid..."

"But it's unreliable, she might not show up for a good deal of time still. The last time she showed up was only about an hour or so ago."

"..True, but we should heed her words this time."

"Any how, exactly, do you plan on doing that? Are we supposed to hold hands while simultaneously typing to the keyboard?"

"..." Raine coughed, averting her eyes as if she didn't have those exact thoughts in mind. "Perhaps I..."

Gritting his teeth under his lips, Yuan sighed. "Maybe you should just stay by me for the time being instead of looking around this time."

"Hm." Raine silently agreed. But still suppressing the uncontrollable urge to empty the shelves, right into her bag, She fell to his side in front of the desk and waited for him to do something.

"Okay." He started searching, and Raine felt a lack of obligation to watch him. The technology was the same as they had above the surface somehow.

The thought intrigued her, she was starting to wonder how long, exactly, magi-technology existed. But... no, it _wasn't_ there for this long. Could it be that the goddess created this somehow based on what occurred modernly? But how?

"Found it." Yuan said.

_That_ was fast. Raine thought, but not giving him a reason to hold his ability pridefully by keeping her mouth shut, she spoke not of his incredibly fast progression.

"I see. So where is it?"

"Hm...." Yuan looked up. "High shelf."

"How high?"

"..." Yuan was staring straight upward, making Raine furrow her eyebrows as she followed his gaze.

"Ah." he finally said, "I see it."

"?!" all the way up there?! Raine thought.

"This search was a big help. I should go up and--" Raine cut him off.

"Yuan."

"Hm."

"I know it's a bit much to ask, but shouldn't you somehow find a way to bring us both up at the same time considering what happened?"

"Yes, I was thinking about that as well." He pondered for a moment, but not as if he was thinking, it was more of a hesitation. "..." He suddenly looked at Raine. Seeming to be calculating something. His eyes dragged themselves reluctantly downward, needing to gather more information.

Trying to keep his mind on track, he still ended up making note of her figure. But now that he looked... she was rather petite, compared to him.

And rather thin, so she should also be pretty easy to carry anywhere. He did have very powerful arm strength, he would admit, so even if she was a heavier girl, he's still be capable. It's not like he didn't already know that, but still, he was just now starting to acknowledge it.

**_It_**, as in...

Exactly how much of an advantage he had over her now. Now that she's defenseless.

The upper... hand...

"..." Yuan swallowed, he had somehow unnerved himself by his own thoughts. No, don't think that way, now-- weight, yes, she should be okay for carrying on his back if he was going to go up that high and still carry something else.

Raine shifted under his gaze, trying to figure out if he was actually considering it or if he was just glaring at her. Biting her lip in embarrassment.

"Yuan?" Raine's cool, collected voice snapped him out of his trance. Wait.. was he staring at her chest--no... couldn't be. Considering the type of person he is, how old of a person he is... he's no longer interested in women, is he?

"Yes."

**A/N: Yeah. Here I should have him say something straight forward like "You. on me. Now." Or like, "Hop on" while slapping himself on the ass. **

**.... O_o**

Yuan turned around and brought his hand hard briefly down upon his own posterior. "Hop on." He kneeled, leaning his rear end backwards for more of a seating and giving a sexy rear-view angle.

hahaha (author laughs nervously.)

**Yeah, scratch that. Maybe something_ else_ that could be taken another way. -cough- j-just forget that last paragraph. I just wanted to know what it would look like.  
**

"I could always carry you." Yuan started to explain. "But you might have to be on my back considering the distance and that I'm going to have to travel. Is that fine?"

**Authors thoughts while typing again: sorry again, but I have to point out. During piggy back rides, technically, aren't like... the rider's legs all spread and stuff and wrapped around the--**

**O_o**

"That's!" Raine blushed, crossing her arms with glare. "I'm not going to--"

"Well, I wasn't planning on flying up without you. You don't exactly have a choice in the matter considering the fact that, "Yuan reached forward and grabbed her wrist tightly. "I can make you do whatever I want now."

"...." Raine opened her mouth to protest, closed it. Crossed her arms, bit her lip. glared. gave a pout that made Yuan's eyes widen a bit (ONLY a bit), he felt his heart leap. "Fine then. But this is only because I chose to and because I just don't happen enjoy the idea of falling into pitch blackness again."

"It wasn't as bad considering I was there, was it?" Yuan wondered aloud. Raine's eyes lit up and her lips parted. A light red tinted her face, but she shook it off.

"A-ah, yes well... let's move on, shall we?"

"... Of course." Yuan's stare was blank... or was it deep, rather? He walked before her, turning away and kneeling slightly. "Get on then."

Raine was struck with a weird nervousness. Why was she getting nervous? She had been carried by him before, so--why now? Raine hesitantly leaned in, slipping her arms forward from the back of his shoulders to around his collarbone.

Yuan attempted hiding his shivering under that contact. Raine stuck one leg forward and that's all it took for him to immediately grab it, reach back for the other one, and bring out his wings, which lifted them off the ground. Raine flinched, his wings just at her ribcage, going out on either side and levitating them upwards.

It was strange though, the wings hardly even moved and it seemed, felt, like Yuan and her were moving upward incredibly fast.

Other than that, Raine had noticed exactly how tight his grip was. Her legs couldn't budge. period. At all.

This was definitely putting her out of all sorts of control.

Flying up to a certain point, they slowed to a stop. Yuan reached forward into the bookshelf and pulled out what looked like a box. Raine furrowed her eyebrows from behind him.

"Is that...?"

"Yes, I told you this book would be large. That's why I needed both hands, it's difficult to carry a 'box' -like shape with just one."

"I see." Raine's eyes trailed up to the ceiling where a neutral, large platform of spikes rested, hanging in midair a little ways above them. It was making her nervous, she made her arms around Yuan's neck a little tighter. He grunted only lightly in response to her suffocating grip. they started to go down back at the floor now.

The moment Yuan let her out of his arms, he heard that same swift, falling sound, so he immediately reached for her hands and brought them up to his neck. Then, he grabbed for hers after simply dropping the box.

"...." Raine swallowed hard, with the ceiling gone now, there was now a platform of spikes which were about a foot above their heads. "...How are we supposed to carry the book?"

"... Forget it."

"What?"

"Leave first, If either of us dies here everything will be lost regardless."

"Hm?"

"If you die, I'll have nothing with me that Lance is after, so he won't reveal himself again, thus I won't be able to kill him."

"Yes, but vice versa I don't see now that would effect me. Though I wouldn't sacrifice another person regardless--and I don't know how to work your submarine...."

"Exactly," Yuan spoke, shifting and glancing up at the ceiling. "Ah... well, there is the fact that he seems to have some sort of control over you when he uses one of his powers. So you would be completely defenseless. And without your staff--"

"I am not defenseless!" Raine protested, contemplating her ability to....

.... get captured?

"Of course you're not. That's why I'm not here."

Damn the accuracy in his sarcasm. How much of a woman she really is without magic.

"Alright. You win." Raine gritted her teeth upon saying, "Let's just shuffle back so that we can um..." Her eyes were being mesmerized, she couldn't look straight at him. Her head moved to the side, embarrassed. "get back."

"Or maybe I'll just lead."

"?" Raine quirked her eyebrow in curiosity as to what he meant. His eyes glanced down wards, one hand moving from her neck and to her waist. Raine's eyes lit up in mild surprise, as his other hand simply reached over and took hers.

"Now just follow my lead." His voice wasn't as loud, he stepped forward and Raine was surprised by how easy it was to follow him.

"O-okay." Raine agreed, obliged somehow because of his ever-commanding tone that stayed in his voice no matter how he spoke.

They continued in stepping together calmly towards the door. As they came closer, Raine looked over to the box--err... book. She was wondering if they'd have been able to kick it out.

No.... that would damage the outside, and not to mention, they'd end up falling.

And with the way things are going now, it would be on top of eachother.

"..." Raine lowered her head with flushed cheeks. No _no **no! **_She mentally slapped herself, trying to get the annoying image out of her head, she was annoyed with the fact that a living artifact like Yuan wouldn't be thinking that type of thing.

_I wonder what she would look like underneath me... _Yuan narrowed his eyes in thought. it actually wasn't too difficult to picture, he was staring into her eyes dead-on. He couldn't exactly decide for himself what kind of look he might have been giving.

Well, I guess your mind only stays pure for so long.

Raine went stiff and bit the inside of her lip nervously, why was he giving her that look?! It looked like he was... contemplating pinning her to the floor or the wall.

Raine's eyes immediately darted off to the conveniently placed wall that he could have used, desperately hoping otherwise.

It felt like forever, but they finally took a step into the previous room. Yuan lead them into the center and finally just released her, taking a single deep breath and facing away from her. He looked down, wiping a bead of sweat away from his temple.

"Time to move on." He said quickly.

"Yes, my thoughts as well." Raine said.

And they made their way down back to the first floor without the book.

They walked down the stairs, a little frustrated with their lack of progress overall, their lack of end result.

"...." Approaching the submarine Yuan could hear Raine's breathing silence. He immediately turned to her and stared into the eyes of the Goddess Lacuna.

"Well? What now?"

"Aw." She actually looked saddened, lower lip pursed a bit. "You're leaving." Her gaze was tinted slightly hateful.

"...I have no choice."

"Do you not wish to achieve the book?" Her narrowed eyes mused.

"... Of course we do. But in this temple, everything seems to be some sort of game. You have absolutely no intention of giving anything to us."

"Oh but I do. You simply must play by my rules, dear."

"Alright? I'm listening, but you have to explain this to me."

"Very well." She chuckled. "You have heard of dying wishes?"

"I've _heard them_ myself. And have been left with the burden of carrying out countless numbers of them. So of course."

"Ah! I see, so one more will suffice." She smiled, chuckling. "As the temple's Goddess. I was so have whatever I wanted, But I had given my life for something long ago." She laughed, "Something you humans, Elves and anything living today may use."

"Go on?"

".... So I had an advocate. Just one." She said. " I possessed a half-elven girl from birth, we became one. And I will admit I... fell in love."

"..." Yuan fell silent.

"Ha, so as the goddess, I could create this temple. We fled down here, but I wasn't fast enough. He never knew my feelings in his lifetime. The two of them died. It was so foolish of me. That had been such an incredibly long time I simply stayed down here with him, no contact... just being was enough for someone of my area." Lacuna chuckled once again, covering her mouth with two fingers.

"It's funny. Her will's stayed with me, I feel like a haunting spirit with but one purpose unfulfilled, so therefore It is the one thing, and only thing I will and must strive for." Eyes sparkling with a kind of mischief, she let the corners of her lips stretch back, giving a thin grin.

"What do you expect me to do? I Have nothing to do with you."

"Ah but you do. Now... I decided something. It is pointless for me to have this myself. So I had given her my will. I realize_ I_ cannot fulfill this."

"You mean Raine's--?" Yuan was thoughtful upon hearing her words.

"Of course."

"....." He stared into the eyes of the half-elven woman with kind of a mild, concern-type thing, knowing now. She also strives for contact...That's all right? Then... maybe that's what it'll have to be.

"...." Her eyes blinked alive. Raine rubbed them and yawned. "I'm feeling tired now." she paused, looking up at Yuan who, for the first time wasn't wearing an expressionless face. She was incredibly surprised by the looks of it. Whoa, Yuan with emotion.

"....Are you sick?" That's actually all she could think of that would make him still characteristically himself and not wear a stoic face.

"Hmph..." Yuan shrugged, turning his head from her to where the submarine should be, in a water-filled hole below. "....It's blocked off. That figures." He sighed.

**A/N: It's like "Damnit Raine, stop wanting me."**

"So we can't leave?"

"Not until I..." Yuan trailed, his voice becoming a grumble as he thought. "....Fine." He faced Raine and grabbed her shoulders.

Raine flinched at the contact. He brought her cheek to his chest, and wrapped his arms around her upper and lower back firmly. Holding her tightly to him, he rested his jaw on the top of her head.

Raine's eyes were wide, and she hesitated.

"...." Slowly reaching up and moving shaking arms around his ribcage, she breathed softly. With the entire front of his body pressed up against her, she could hear his heart beat.

A moment went by, she was calm. It felt so comfortable there. She let her eyes close. Yuan was afraid t pulled her in any more than she already was.

It was like... being afraid of holding her too tightly. But he still wanted to. Be closer for some reason...

A sliding sound could be heard, and it revealed their way out. They heard a thumping sound, and both pulled away quickly. Yuan coughed, and Raine crossed her arms, her eyes trailing the opposite end of the room.

"The book." Yuan pointed out, and indeed, when Raine looked, the book had appeared behind them.

"This is ridiculous." Raine hissed. "All it took was a hug? Damn it why didn't you do it sooner?" She glared at Yuan.

"..." Yuan's eyes were still light from the initial contact. "I'm... _sorry_." He stared, he seemed to be thinking, arms crossed. Wordlessly watching her.

"..."

Whoa.

She said nothing in response, that also was.... incredibly surprising. Since when did he...

Yuan apologizing wasn't supposed to exist.

**xxxxxx**

**Yeah. another one done with.**

**Hey, I have to ask, is it weird that I could imagine Kratos. **

**Headbanging. And raving, (like, jumping around under strobe lights and doing the swingie, over-the-head rodeo thing. (Hell yes. the cowboy, and maybe I'm confusing him with myself)), hip thrusting-etc, to 'seduction' on DDR? I want a second opinion--ah, well you don't have to of course. But still...**

**Just put that image in your head for a second while (_maybe_ listening) listening to the song. **

**(Oh, and It's actually in youtube too, if you want to hear it. Type "Seduction vocal remix" and the name of the song should be in the picture of the video.  
**

**I think it'll be at the top, titled what I just put above, "seduction, vocal remix". by this sanji-something-person.  
**

**Like... if you feel like listening to it.**

**....what?! I'm not weird! I (gasp) swear-Oh, and BTW **

**I'm going to be at a gymnastics camp for FOUR DAYS! **

(that means no update for four days, not new, I know, but still.)

**that I'm guessing doesn't SOUND like bootcamp to you guys but ah.... yeah, nevermind. Ignore my troubles. I'm sick too---  
**

**Kratos: stop complaining.**

**But it hurts!**

**Kratos: what?**

**My throat, my eyes... ohh the pain. *cough* so sick *cough* (no I'm serious)  
**

**Kratos:....**

**Lloyd: You baby.  
**


	14. Chapter 14

Hi guys! I tested out! YESS! She said-my teacher- that I got the highest score--I was so surprised I was like OMG!

Yeah.... dude you did not just hear that. My spazz moment.

By the way, the Yggdrasil tree is what Lloyd names the tree at the end of the game. If you didn't know what I meant, (ahead)

If you did, cool. You're informed I guess. ^^'' -right?

xxxxx

The Yggdrasil tree

xxxxx

"I wonder what they're doing right now." Zelos had a perverted look on his face as he chuckled.

"Who are you talking about, Zelos?" Colette blinked up at her fellow chosen.

"He's thinking about stuff that you shouldn't listen to, Colette." Sheena said quickly, "Just don't listen to him and he'll eventually stop talking."

Making a hurt face, Zelos's eyes were wide. "B-but!" He went teary-eyed. "I-I'm not! I just wanted to have a friendly conversation with Colette!" He whined.

"So Lloyd, do you want me to go up and get the piece or do you want to try?" Sheena completely ignored the red-haired chosen.

"Um… let's see." Lloyd looked up at the huge tree above them. "…I think I'll try." He knew that Sheena was (literally) a total ninja. (As rare as it is that people can actually accurately use that phrase.) he wanted his pride back after seeing Presea lift that huge thing that he and Genis together couldn't budge…

-

Flashback-- first meeting Presea

"Here, let us help you. That looks heavy." Genis suggested, and Presea stared at them blankly. She set it down and waited for them to pick it up.

"Okay!" Lloyd looked ready. The two of them went forth and attempted to pick it up with, really, ALL of their strength. It didn't move.

Presea sighed, moving past them and lifting it up over her shoulder with one hand.

"!!"

"!!!!"

"…I have lost ALL confidence as a man."

--

Then Colette lifting Regal with one hand in the air….

"…." Lloyd tightened his fists, looking ready. "Okay." he breathed, staring up to the first leaf which was about a mile up. "Oh!" an idea popped into his head. "I'll try using my wings!" he laughed. He let them come out in an unfolding motion, spread widely on either sides of him.

Lloyd kicked himself up and started flapping his wings. He flew upward with incredible speed. Directly into a tree branch actually. With his face.

They didn't hear him grunt, but they did see him falling back down towards them suddenly.

"Oh." Colette stepped forward and caught him bridal style. She looked into her arms where she cradled an unconscious Lloyd.

. . .yeahhh

"Well… I guess it's up to me." Sheena sighed, jumping into the air with her incredible skill.

xxxxx

Back at the Ranch….? (Well, Submarine-thing.)

xxxxx

"This book will definitely prove helpful when we're mixing everything together to create that formula." Raine smiled, already flipping through it as they sat in their chairs, Raine wasn't even insecure about being there anymore, too caught up in her fascination.

"So I'm guessing we'll be expected to drink something?"

"Of course!" Raine chuckled. "I'll even mix it myself! Adding in my own personal flare!"

"You can do that….? without messing up the formula?" Yuan trailed with uncertainty, steering upward with both hands occupied on separate steering options. Definitely triple-tasking right now. (talk, drive, drive-2)

"Of course! As long as we add the base ingredients, I could add any flavor I wish." Raine seemed fond of the thought, and she was thinking hard too. She looked like she was solving a thirty-seven-step Algebraic equation. As she brainstormed with different foods she could use to make something spicy with grapes…

Grape flavored with pie-crust pieces for sweetness… raw lemon extract. A dash of cinnamon… NO! make it a cup. Then a pinch of Cayenne Pepper... Banana peel shavings for a yellowish color.

"Yes, that should suffice." Raine nodded to herself, and Yuan blinked, confused as to what she might have meant.

"...?"

Xxxxx

Meeting- about an hour later.

Xxxxx

"Professor!" Lloyd and Colette cheered in unison upon seeing Raine approach Dirk's house.

"Raine!" Genis sang, happy upon seeing his sister after a long time of adventuring without her.

"Oh, Genis... You all have already collected every ingredient?" Raine took Genis's hug to the stomach.

"..." Genis went silent, breathing in _her_ scent... or rather-- "Hm-" Genis furrowed his eyebrows in understanding, turning his head to the seraph who kept a reasonable distance from the group, still able to hear and be heard.

Yuan blinked, stiffening in slight surprise as Genis hugged Raine tighter and shot him a straight-on-glare.

"So." Genis's voice grew slow and suspicious, "What were you guys doing that took so long to get one book?"

"...." Yuan stared, Genis was looking straight at him. The group was silent and watching him. "Well ah--" He blinked at the ground, that would be interesting to explain. How would he phrase 'I was constantly touching her' without making it sound like he was a perverted old man...?

Yuan only took a half-second to play that over in his head.

Well, we had to _**constantly**_ make some sort of only slightly-intimate physical contact to make it to the top where we were dumped into the basement again... a dark secluded room where she rested on my--

No. Yuan put a hand to his chin in thought for the next half-second. He thinks fast.

"We had to over-go a trial that lead us to the top, but then Raine ended up losing her staff on the way up because of this out-of-the ordinary monster that I'm surprised still lived there. After that, it took the both of our ability to find the book when we were in the library's top floor." Yuan conveniently left out numerous awkward occasions that had happened during that period of time.

"Right." Genis sounded convincing from one angle, but matched with his expression, you would get a spiteful vibe. His eyes were narrow and his mouth in a firm frown. Solid hate.

Yuan understood, Genis was suspicious of his 'activities' with his older sister.

"..."

"Well, I'm glad you guys are back." He pulled away and looked up at his sister.

"Yeah, we got everything and I hope we can hurry and make that potion before that guy shows up." Lloyd said, holding a filled bag forward at his professor.

"..." Raine looked down at it, "Oh, yes, thank you Lloyd. We can complete the potion now."

"Lloyd wasn't exactly the one to get them most of the time." Sheena coughed.

"Yeah, it was kind of a send Sheena into everything type thing." Zelos looked into the sky as he thought.

"..." Lloyd cleared his throat, looking down at the floor hesitantly. "B-but I..."

"Nevermind. Let's just get inside." Sheena cut him off, and everyone left Lloyd to his shame.

xxxxx

They had mixed the potion, Raine cast the required spell into it and Genis had insisted on being the one to 'flavor' it. So she was a bit disappointing in not being able to try her idea. But it didn't matter, it tasted good, and the group split into two. They went to Lloyd's house and She, Genis, and Yuan decided to just stay there.

It would have just been Raine and Yuan, because he didn't feel like going with a bunch of kids she was guessing, and Raine needed to go over a few notes. Read through the book and such.

But Genis was determined not to leave them alone. She was starting to wonder why.

'I'm up for a hot shower about now.' Raine thought, her eyes falling down to the floor with a sigh. She glanced around, no-one seemed to be missing... Well, except for Yuan, but whatever, he had no reason to stay there with them in the living room.

...Strange, she couldn't even remember him leaving. Maybe she was really absorbed in her studies.

Raine stood up and was a bit excited to get all of the dirt off of her, she stood up from her desk and walked towards the bathroom, it was down the hallway and to the right.

She stopped before it and looked over at Genis who had fallen asleep. She smiled softly, so much for being watchdog.

Now that she thought about it... she and her brother were both 'sage siblings' so Genis might be the one he wants too, _so_ since she's defenseless now, the only ones who would be able to fight would be Genis and Yuan.

Is that enough? If they were to be attacked?

"..." Raine started to wonder where Yuan had gone, getting a little more desperate to know where he was.

At that moment, the door opened, the very seraph she had been thinking of walking through the doorway. "..." He looked over to her with his narrow, emerald-tinted cerulean eyes. Raine flinched just by the focus he was giving her.

She bit her lip and just entered the bathroom, her towel draped over her shoulder and clothes folded over her arm. She flicked on the light and closed the door behind her, stripping herself of her coat and removing her shirt, there in her bra, black pants, and white boots.

"..." Two steps into the center and she was starting to get the feeling that she wasn't alone in the room. A strange fear trickled up her spine. She spun around and came face to face with familiar red eyes. The absence of his black hood revealed long strands of shimmering blond hair that dropped low over his orbs of piercingly dark vermilion.

"You."

"Lance, darling." His voice was smooth, like silk against her ears. Light, but deep, seductive. "I was waiting a dreadfully long time for that man to return you to me." He chuckled, taking a step forward. Raine made full realization of the fact that she was completely defenseless because of the temple experience, and never had a chance to get another weapon.

She knew that she was trapped when he flicked his wrist back over his shoulder. The wooden edges of the door seemed to be altered in material, because it was unnaturally melting into the wall. His hands fell back to his sides and he stared at her.

"..." She opened her mouth to shout for Yuan to be the savior here but it seemed like before she could get out a syllable, she was forced backwards and against the wall on the opposite side of the room with only one finger softly but firmly over her lips.

"..." Raine breathed in and held it, it felt strange, she was having an incredible infatuation just by him pinning her to the wall... that's not supposed to be normal, so she knew that he was doing something.

Swallowing as he brought his face an inch closer. Raine backed her head away from him, she was feeling weak-willed. This weird, out-of-nowhere desire to lean in was overwhelming her.

"Ah... so you no longer resist." A slow, spreading of his lips on either side of his face revealed shining, aligned teeth. "Raine?" He whispered now, pressing his lips against the edge of her ear.

She could only mouth the words voicelessly, 'I can't control... Yuan, help.' she was mentally questioning why she was looking to Yuan for rescuing.

He was kind of... well, not the type. But he did prove himself quite the savior. The... knight in shining armor.

She struggled to find her voice. "What do you want?"

"I want your mind of course. Only you can be the one to give them to me."

"...Give what?"

"The children of prophecy. Only yours will be guaranteed genuine."

"M-my ch--!" She cut herself off, eyebrows twitching upward, now realizing exactly what it was that he was trying to do here. "You want to..." she paused again, "...me..." she trailed, putting one hand up over her mouth, whispering a half-hearted 'no'.

Right _here_, really?

"Stare into my eyes, love. A few more seconds. Blink once and you will obey the one you see." he explained cheerfully. "You _will_ unconditionally love me." he laughed lightheartedly. "Because it will last hours I'm guessing."

Raine's eyebrow twitched, she attempted averting her eyes but his hand held her jaw in place, she couldn't move her head, and his eyes were inevitable.

**A/N: reminds me of some sort of submissive... bondage type thing. jeeze.**

At that very moment the door got kicked out of the wall with a crash of incredible force, it rocketed forward and smashed into the wall to her right, leaving a trail of smoke where it collided. Through the smoke Raine could see Yuan's long blade materialize in his hands as he charged straight into them. There was now a hole in the wall besides them, and Lance pulled away from Raine, gently shoving her off to the side as he faced Yuan.

Yuan looked a little too excited to be gashing him right now. He thrust his sword towards him and it clashed with sparks flying from their weapons.

He pulled it away, and with a strength-filled swing he brought it back around, side-stepping and ducking both to slash it down his back.

Lance laughed. "Ah. again! I'm upset, in this small space I cannot help but to lose to you again." He looked back into Raine's eyes for a moment, but was kicked over by Yuan while bursting into black ashes.

"Raine." Yuan knelt beside her where she had collapsed down the wall. He examined her and scanned for injuries. "I should have known he would come here before we arrived, he's obviously been waiting." He glanced down again at her, his eyes were stuck only for a moment before he averted them. "Are you alright?"

He refused to look directly at her, turning his head away because of the fact that she wasn't even covering her chest. She was really vacant-looking, though. She kind of just stared at him.

Ah... she probably seen him glance at her chest the first time.

"..." her lips parted slightly, staring with wide eyes.

"Raine?" Yuan repeated. He was a bit confused, but growing in concern. "Raine, did he hurt you? If he did--" His voice grew irritated.

Her eyes narrowed and she let a small smile come upon her features. "Yuan you're so cool." her eyes sparkled as she giggled. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, pulling him down towards her.

Losing his balance and his composure both made him stumble a bit, his hands bracing against the wall. He pulled away and took her arms, he unwrapped them and stood immediately.

"Ah, R-Raine?" He stuttered, taking a step backwards, his face was heating up for some reason.

"Yes, sir?" She purred, raising herself up to her knees in front of him.

"..." He cringed, incredibly uncomfortable with the suggestiveness of the position, taking a step back. "S-stop." He ordered, and Raine immediately fell down to her sitting position again, looking up at him with wide, waiting eyes.

"...Mh...." Yuan breathed, swallowing and covering his mouth with one hand, that arm resting on the other which was folded over his ribcage.

"What do you command, Lord Yuan?" Raine's eyes looked completely bright. It was just... interesting to him how it was making him feel.

She inched forward and reached for his hips.

"Hold on." Yuan said firmly and quickly, stumbling back again as she approached. He ended up on the ground with her proceeding forward onto him.

Taking a breath and flipping them over in one swift motion, Yuan had her pinned to the floor. He held her wrists tightly at her sides as he hovered above her.

"J-just... Stay where you are." He commanded.

"Hm?" Raine blinked, looking up at him.

"..." Yuan's eyes narrowed and he watched her expression.

"Of course, master." She looked incredible and incredibly cheerful.

"..." He swallowed again, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down his temple. He couldn't avoid the inescapable view at her chest.

"Raine!!" Genis yelled from the gaping hole in the wall that lead to the hallway.

The door that Yuan had kicked in...

Well. As Genis played out the possible scenario in his mind as to what must have happened...

Raine was in the bathroom, Yuan barged in, stripped her of her clothes and pinned her to the floor after giving her some sort of alcoholic beverage.

"You! I knew it." Genis glared, looking very angry at him. "You did do something to her! Raine are you okay?! Do you want me to take care of this--"

"I believe she's being possessed by some sort of spell that Lance had cast upon her. He was in here." He paused, "I think this spell was intended to be towards him rather than myself, however."

"..." Genis's mouth opened and he thought. "...Is this true, Raine?"

"Of course, Yuan's fantastic." she smiled softly up at him.

"..." Yuan didn't exactly have reason to react to that, but it was making him rather...

What's the word...

Bothered? Hot?

"Ah..." Yuan swallowed again, rolling off of her and to his feet in one movement. As Raine whined and reached with one hand towards him, elevating to her knees, he took quick, long steps, power-walking out of the room with his arms crossed. Raine looked honestly upset by him leaving.

"Raine?" Genis questioned, looking down at his sister who had a blank expression.

"..." She didn't reply, instead, she stood and started skipping towards the door after Yuan.

**xxxxx**

**Whoa.**

**I went there. O_o  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**O_o I have nothing more to say oddly.**

* * *

"I have nothing to explain." Yuan sighed, his heels together and his arms crossed as he stared the younger sage sibling in the eyes.

"B-but!" Genis clenched his fists.

"Yuan, where are you?" Raine's eyes were bright, open, but empty. She scanned the woods for the blue-haired seraph.

"_Why _is she--"

"I already said. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Wait, why do I have to deal with this?" Genis glared.

"Because I said so. Now occupy her for about an hour while I retreat, I obviously can't be expected to keep her company with her ah..." He looked over in her direction, "condition."

"But you could have prevented this!" Genis argued, "And I... I _can't_ control her, _you're_ way stronger, though."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, I'm afraid."

Genis was ready to admit something he wasn't before. "It has to be you, though." His head lowered and he looked at the ground. "... I think that you'll be able to snap her out of it."

"How do you expect me to...?" Yuan trailed, lifting his hand in inquire.

Falling silent in response, Genis turned his head. "Well um..." he rubbed the back of his neck.

Yuan was actually starting to see how troubled Genis actually looked, he grew this foreign feeling from somewhere, sympathy. Somehow. As impossible as it was, he did have it. And he decided to agree.

"Well I guess I'm expected to tie her to a tree and babysit?"

"Yeah something like that. I don't think I'll be able to." Genis mumbled.

"Hm." he kicked himself mentally because of the fact that for some reason he liked the picture. "Fine." He turned in one movement and walked towards the searching professor.

"Thanks..." Genis sighed.

xxxxx

"Yuan!" Raine blushed, her entire face red with embarrassment. "Oh ah... There you are." She giggled.

"..." Yuan sighed. "Come with me." He waved for her to follow.

"Of course, Lord Yuan!" She smiled, and skipping after him. Yuan took fast steps to attempt keeping a distance between them.

"Hn." He blinked, shifting uncomfortably at her closing in on him.

A few more feet into the woods and he stopped, Raine stopped behind him, a big grin on her lips.

"...I want you to snap out of it."

"...?" Raine looked at him, confused. As if she was incapable.

"I see.... I should have expected as much." He uncrossed his arms and examined her. He looked around at their surroundings. It was getting darker and they were out of sight from everyone else. "Can you understand what I'm saying?" He lifted his hand in question.

"O-Of course." Raine stepped forward with half-lidded eyes and a reaching hand.

"Nh..." He stepped back, biting part of the inside of his mouth. "J-just stay where you are." He held his hand out in front of him as if to stop her.

"..." She stood there, watching him, looking disappointed.

"Don't look at me like that." He tensed up upon seeing her pouting face. "..." He breathed in and out, eyes closed. "Alright."

xxxxx

"Mmh.... Wh...what?" Raine's eyes eased open from darkness, she looked around the woods around her in confusion. "Yuan?" She locked eyes with the Seraph before her, standing idly with his arms crossed.

He stood in a solid stance of glowing blue amongst the blackness that surrounded him. The sun had set, and darkness overwhelmed the setting.

Looking mildly upset, bothered by something, Yuan stared back at her with irritation. "Finally." He walked at her and drew a knife. He cut the ropes that bound Raine to a tall, large tree and stepped back. Raine looked down at herself, at the ropes that had fallen into her lap loosely.

"... What happened?"

"Lance decided to play a humorless joke." He was visibly tightening his jaw, avoiding looking directly at her.

"I see." Raine stood up, the ropes dropping from her hips and with a thump to the forest floor. "And what would that be?"

"So you don't know." Yuan quirked an eyebrow.

Pondering upon hearing his response, it must be something obvious.

"He tied me to this tree."

"No, that would be myself." Yuan stated.

"..." Raine hesitated, trying to figure out why he had reason to do so.

Shrugging, he faced away from her, "It was rather difficult considering the circumstances."

Raine furrowed her eyebrows, looking down again and flinching in realization for the fact that she wasn't wearing clothing over her upper torso with the exception of a lacy black bra.

"I remember..." She crossed her arms and glared at the ground and slowly crossing her arms over her chest.

Reaching back over his shoulder, Yuan pulled his cape from his back. He didn't face her, but held it back towards her.

"If you so wish you can wrap this around you."

"Ah, Thank you." Raine reached forward and took it softly. "....Thank you." she repeated, as she felt the fabric in her hands.

"Please don't mention this."

"Why of course." Raine said, as though it was absolutely obvious. She hesitated, wrapping it around her shoulders and crossing the fabric over her upper torso so that you couldn't see her bra.

"Now, we should get headed back now."

"But now I feel the obligation to repay you."

"Perhaps I'll think of something." He spoke over his shoulder as he started walking. "But for now, stay close to me. It's pitch black."

...he's avoiding the initial question, what happened. Raine shook her head with a sigh.

Deciding to listen to him for now, Raine approached and crossed her arms to keep herself warm, the cold was starting to set in, even in the mild heat of the summer. She could see by the light of his wings, carefully stepping.

"Ahh!" Raine felt the adrenaline rush through her as she was thrown forward, her feet behind behind her, they caught on the lifted part of a tree trunk root. "Mh-" She breathed, being braced back against Yuan's arm that held her upward.

"Stop!" Raine glared at him, regaining her balance once she stepped out of the grip that the root had on her foot.

"Stop what?" Yuan quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Helping me, I'm going to end up owing everything I have." She huffed in irritation. She really was bothered by the idea of giving up her artifacts.

"And what use would you assume I have for your belongings?"

"That's what I figured." Raine sighed, "But still..." She then looked uncomfortable all of a sudden, by the thought of something else that had newly emerged in the surfaces of her mind.

"..." Yuan could actually imagine numerous things he technically could have taken by now, but due to his respective personality and composure. Those pieces in him are enough for full prevention of the sort.

xxxxxxxxx

next day

xxxxxxxxx

"He attacked again? That bastard!" Lloyd growled, fisting his hand as he grew tense with anger. "How could he play such a low trick as sneaking into the safety of your house? He's sounding more and more like a desian."

"Calm down Lloyd." Raine said, "I'm not harmed as far as I'm concerned. I don't think he had the intention of_," _she paused, "_hurting_ me exactly." She sighed, falling silent as she recalled his words as far as motives... how would she word that?

"Do you know what he wants?"

"..." She swallowed, facing away from the group and pondering. "W-well ah...." She bit her lip.

"!!" Zelos's eyes widened.

Wow, the first to figure it out.

"Zelos? Do you know anything?" Lloyd looked at his comrade.

He stuttered at first, seeming thrown off, "Ah-_OH_-um.... ah...hahaha...." He had a difficult expression, trying to figure out how he would put something into a comfortable phrase. "He's a really... straight-forward... guy." He nodded, still in mid stun. "is all..."

Yeah, he knew that look in a girl anywhere.

He would. It's Zelos.

"...Yeah, well anyway. Until we know what he wants, we should be more careful. If he shows himself again, I promise I'll protect you Professor." He nodded to his former teacher.

"Oh, thank you Lloyd." Raine smiled in appreciation for the boy. "That's very noble of you."

"Oh well.." he grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"..." Yuan allowed himself a mild, brief smile that flashed for a half millisecond. He was slightly amused by Lloyd's promise. Yuan's been the one protecting her until now...

But why? Yuan pondered over his own reason for protecting her.

It's only because of the fact that he wants revenge on Lance for what he did to his renegades in his absence. He was only doing what seemed like the most effective way of stopping Lance from doing it again.

Yeah... even when he had the book already. He was fully capable of mixing the potion himself, and could use that for prior defense against the enemy.

But... there would be no sense in leaving Raine behind whilst her comrades are expecting him to bring her back with him. That must be the only reason. Because of Lloyd.

So maybe Lloyd really was her savior all along.

"...Hm." He smirked, Yuan turned away from the group and walked towards the door, he let them speak amongst each-other. He heard them discussing how the potion would effect them and figured that since he already knew the effects, it wouldn't concern him.

"Yuan. Where are you going?" The professor stopped talking all of a sudden to address him.

Yuan sighed, "This way." he said, stating the obvious.

Sighing as well, Raine shook her head at his sarcasm, "I see that. But you should be careful, we need to all stay together as a group from now on."

"I am the one who took him down initially. And at that, on my own, am I not?"

"..." Raine let a look of concern show through for a half second. "Of course." She looked down before staring back up into his eyes, "Fine, do what you want."

"..." He turned on heel without another word and left through the front door, it felt like a long moment, captured in time as it eased shut. The light from outside that was formed in the opening disappeared.

"You know Raine, he_ is_ the one who kept betraying us...." Genis lifted his hands in a shrug.

Raine slapped Genis on the back of the head hard, and he held the source of pain once she pulled her hands back away.

"Ow..." He mumbled.

"Mind your manners. I'm certain that he no longer has reason to." she paused, "Not only that but it's likely he heard you just now." She huffed. "Now then."

xxxxxxxxx

"So. What _are_ your reasons for wanting to capture Raine." Yuan spoke into the empty trees through which you could see the orange light rising.

All he got in reply was silence, the view of the black silhouettes of trees encircling him.

"I know you're there."

"Haha." Another voice chuckled, sounding amused. "So, you seen me even from inside? You must have brilliant eye sight, sir."

Yuan looked up and met the red gaze of the blond, cloaked man as he dropped from a high branch.

"..." Yuan's arms were crossed, he looked very uninterested in Lance's cheerfulness. "I believe I asked you something."

"Ah, of course." Lance pulled back his hood and Yuan looked at his face with an emotionless gaze. "Why do you wish to know?"

"Answer me, or we fight here and I kill you a third time."

"You know, it is quite the pain finding this house time and time again from the origin. I'd like it if you didn't do that, please."

"..." Yuan's glare intensified.

"Hm." Lance smirked. "...Very well. I'll tell you, if she hasn't already." he looked up thoughtfully, "In time, once I get a hold of her, I. will be the one who kills you."

Yuan waited, and Lance started to speak.

"It would be the same, trivial thing that every man wants from a woman." he started to laugh light-heartedly. "Though, I'm full willing to take responsibility for my actions. And still... after it all, as it will turn out." He looked, with more irritating of a half-smile. "She won't be able to resist me."

"..." Yuan tightened his jaw as he held himself calmly back.

"....Oh?" Lance's eyes lit in surprise. "This bothers you, I see."

"Of course not. I wouldn't care for her life if it were not for the fact that I want to kill you for good."

_Do I mean that?_

"Ha." Lance had yet another amused look on his face. "Of course." He closed his eyes as he stepped backwards into the darkness. "I will see you again once you figure out how to do that." he chuckled. "Until then."

xxxxxxxxx

"So. Did you find anything out, yet?" Yuan approached the professor who sat silently at her desk blankly. Not even seeming to have total focus, but it looked like she was skipping through the pages quickly. Reading fast.

"...Yes." Raine flipped back about twenty pages to the center of the huge book and pointed to a picture.

"...Hm?"

"This. It stops regenerative properties..." She pointed to a large gem with a description underneath.

"..." Yuan fell silent, sitting down at a chair next to her and looking at the page. "Hades. Nickname, the Pandemonium." He trailed, looking up at Raine. "Alright?"

"Well, it says that when applied to another human being, it will completely halt the process of reproduction."

"And?"

"In other words. Cloning."

"Oh I see. So we'll be able to stop him from making more of himself."

"Precisely." she paused, "But there's a problem, if we don't know where his clones are coming from... we have to find a way to something called an origin."

"Ah." Yuan lifted his finger in a point. "Actually, in my previous conversation with him, he did mention one. Indicating that it's where his clones are coming from."

"You were talking with him?!"

"Hm." Yuan shrugged, "he wasn't very threatening."

"Nh" Raine put her hand on her chin. "Did you two fight again?"

"No." He answered simply, "But more importantly, He told me of his motives." He raised an eyebrow at her, who then let out a quiet groan.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Raine sighed.

"So you did already know." he paused "However, I understand why you wouldn't want to say anything."

"... I'm guessing you're going to tell the others then. I understand."

"No." Yuan blinked, "No, I was not planning on doing so." He crossed his arms. "Unless you want me to."

"No."

"..."

"In--any case I should tell you the other great news."

Yuan was starting to question why she was telling him first. Maybe it's because he asked first. That must be it.

"Which is...?"

"This gem, Is it safe to assume we should be attaining it?"

"Of course. It's essential in killing him for the last time."

Clearing her throat, Raine paused, biting her lip before opening her mouth to speak.

"Difficult location?"

"Frustrating location." Raine corrected.

"Where."

"Well, how would you feel if I told you if we had to go back underwater again?"

"What?" He hissed, standing.

"..." Raine still looked at him expectantly.

Yuan sighed, "Well, I'd most likely be mildly pissed and nominate Lloyd to go with you if I didn't know better about his submarine driving skills."

"I wouldn't be so sure, he did drive one you know."

"Before he attained the reihards, which, may I add, was quite a long time ago, and it was with a submarine with different controls than mine."

Raine was about to talk but Yuan cut her off quickly, knowing what she was going to say. "And it would be an incredible waste of my time to teach him all four hundred mechanisms and controls while he's only using it once and may not even know how to apply the skills..." Yuan trailed.

"Good point. So, shall we tell the others?"

"Indeed." Yuan agreed with a blank face.

xxxxxxxxx


End file.
